Patent ID: 6930866

Claim:
A magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS), a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor for connection to sense circuitry for detecting changes in electrical resistance within the sensor, the sensor comprising: a MTJ stack with an active region disposed at the ABS and having two opposite sides each disposed generally orthogonally to the ABS, the MTJ stack comprising: an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer spanning the active region, a pinned layer of ferromagnetic (FM) material in contact with the AFM layer, a free layer of FM material spanning the active region and extending beyond each of the two opposite sides thereof, and a tunnel junction layer of electrically nonconductive material disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer in the active region; and a longitudinal bias layer formed on and in contact with the free layer outside of the active region for biasing the magnetic moment of the free layer in substantially a predetermined direction in the absence of an external magnetic field, wherein the longitudinal bias layer comprises an electrically nonconductive AFM material disposed outside of the active region and in abutting contact with the two opposite sides of the active region.