Abstract: Concerns about inadequate electromigration robustness in CCP CPP GMR devices have been overcome by adding magnesium to the current confining structures that are presently in use. In one embodiment the alumina layer, in which the current carrying copper regions are embedded, is fully replaced by a magnesia layer. In other embodiments, alumina is still used but a layer of magnesium is included within the structure before it is subjected to ion assisted oxidation.

Abstract: The problem of increasing the output signal from a CCP-CPP GMR device without having it overheat has been overcome by placing materials that have different thermoelectric potentials on opposing sides of the spacer layer. Heat from the hot junction is removed at the substrate, which acts as a heat sink, resulting in a net local cooling of the confined current spacer layer, enabling it to operate at both higher input voltage increased reliability.

Abstract: The Increased power needed to drive the write coil in a contemporary read-write magnetic head leads to greater thermal pole tip protrusion during writer activation. This problem has been overcome by including a heat diffuser on top of the return portion of the upper coils together with a thermally conductive pedestal that connects it to the substrate. During writer activation, the joule heating generated by the write current at the coils is extracted through the heat diffuser and subsequently dissipated in the substrate. The resulting lower temperature rise in the pole tip area leads to lower thermal protrusion.