MR thin film head with longitudinal-biasing multi-layers of antiferromagnetically-coupled high and low coercivity layers

摘要

A thin film head includes a GMR element formed of an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinning layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetic layer, and a pair of the right and the left laminated longitudinal biasing layers. Each of the biasing layers contains a high coercivity ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a low coercivity ferromagnetic layer provided on the free magnetic layer of the GMR element. The high coercivity ferromagnetic layer and low coercivity ferromagnetic layer are antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled via the nonmagnetic layer, and the high coercivity ferromagnetic layer and free magnetic layer located next to the high coercivity ferromagnetic layer are ferromagnetically coupled.