CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-THE-PLANE (CPP) MAGNETORESISTIVE (MR) SENSOR WITH EXCHANGE-COUPLED SIDE SHIELD STRUCTURE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor with an exchange-coupled side shield structure.;SOLUTION: A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive sensor has an exchange-coupled side shield structure on each of two side regions of the sensor and an exchange-coupled top shield structure on the sensor and the two exchange-coupled side shield structures. Each exchange-coupled structure comprises an antiferromagnetic layer and a shield of soft magnetically permeable material exchange-coupled with the antiferromagnetic layer. Respective side shields and a top shield have magnetization oriented generally parallel to the sensor front edge and generally parallel to the plane of a free ferromagnetic layer of the sensor. The shields in respective exchange-coupled side shield structures and the exchange-coupled top shield structure may be an antiparallel coupled structure of two magnetically permeable films separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT