Claims
- 1. A magnetoresistive read sensor comprising:a gap layer; a soft adjacent layer on a center region of the gap layer, where first and second outside regions of the gap layer are separated by the center region; a spacer layer on the soft adjacent layer; an underlayer on the first and second outside regions of the gap layer, thereby forming first and second passive regions above the underlayer and an active region above the soft adjacent layer; a first hard-biasing film on the underlayer in the first and second passive regions, the first hard-biasing film for biasing the soft adjacent layer; a layer of low-resistivity material on the first hard-biasing film in the first and second passive regions; a second hard-biasing film positioned on the layer of low-resistivity material in the first and second passive regions; a magnetoresistive layer on the spacer layer and the second hard-biasing film such that it extends through the active region and the first and second passive regions with the second hard-biasing film biasing the magnetoresistive layer; and a cap layer on the magnetoresistive layer in the active region and the first and second passive regions.
- 2. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of contacts on the cap layer in the first and second passive regions.
- 3. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 1 wherein the magnetoresistive element is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity less than 100 μΩ-cm.
- 4. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 1 wherein the spacer material is formed from a non-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
- 5. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 1 wherein the soft adjacent material is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
- 6. A magnetoresistive read sensor comprising:a first passive region comprising an underlayer, a first hard-biasing layer positioned on the underlayer, a layer of low-resistivity material positioned on the first hard-biasing layer, a second hard-biasing layer positioned on the layer of low-resistivity material, a first passive region of a magnetoresistive layer positioned on the second hard-biasing layer and a first passive region of a cap layer positioned on the first passive region of the magnetoresistive layer; a second passive region comprising an underlayer, a first hard-biasing layer positioned on the underlayer, a layer of low-resistivity material positioned on the first hard-biasing layer, a second hard-biasing layer positioned on the layer of low-resistivity material, a second passive region of the magnetoresistive layer positioned on the second hard-biasing layer and a second passive region of the cap layer positioned on the second passive region of the magnetoresistive layer; and an active region separating the first and second passive regions, the active region including a soft adjacent layer, a spacer layer positioned on the soft adjacent layer, an active region of the magnetoresistive layer positioned on the spacer layer, and an active region of the cap layer positioned on the active region of the magnetoresistive layer, wherein the soft adjacent layer is magnetostatically-coupled to the first hard-biasing layer, and wherein the first and second passive regions of the magnetoresistive layer are exchange-coupled to second hard-biasing layers of respective first and second passive regions.
- 7. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 6 and further comprising first and second contacts on respective first and second regions of the cap layer.
- 8. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 6 wherein the magnetoresistive layer is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity less than 100 μΩ-cm.
- 9. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 6 wherein the spacer layer is formed from a non-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
- 10. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 6 wherein the soft adjacent layer is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
- 11. A magnetoresistive read sensor comprising:a gap layer; a soft adjacent layer on a center region of the gap layer, where first and second outside regions of the gap layer are separated by the center region; a spacer layer on the soft adjacent layer; an underlayer on the first and second outside regions of the gap layer, thereby forming first and second passive regions above the underlayer and an active region above the soft adjacent layer; a first hard-biasing layer on the underlayer in the first and second passive regions; a layer of low-resistivity material on the first hard-biasing layer in the first and second passive regions; a second hard-biasing layer positioned on the layer of low-resistivity material in the first and second passive regions; a magnetoresistive layer on the spacer layer and the second hard-biasing layer; and a cap layer on the magnetoresistive layer in the active region and the first and second passive regions.
- 12. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 11 and further comprising a plurality of contacts on the cap layer in the first and second passive regions.
- 13. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 11 wherein the magnetoresistive element is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity less than 100 μΩ-cm.
- 14. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 11 wherein the spacer material is formed from a non-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
- 15. The magnetoresistive read sensor of claim 11 wherein the soft adjacent material is formed from a soft-magnetic material having a resistivity of at least 100 μΩ-cm.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Section 371 national phase application from PCT International Application Number PCT/US98/19732, filed Sep. 22, 1998, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Number 60/059,484, filed Sep. 22, 1997.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US98/19732 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/16057 |
4/1/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5434826 |
Ravipati et al. |
Jul 1995 |
A |
5458908 |
Krounbi et al. |
Oct 1995 |
A |
5491600 |
Chen et al. |
Feb 1996 |
A |
6111730 |
Fernandez-de-Castro |
Aug 2000 |
A |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/059484 |
Sep 1997 |
US |