Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide a refill configuration adjacent a back-edge that defines a height of a magnetoresistive read sensor. Milling through layers of the sensor forms the back-edge and may be initially conducted at a first angle of incidence greater than a second angle of incidence. In combination, an insulating material and a polish resistant material, such as a non-magnetic metal, disposed on the insulating material fills a void created by the milling. The sensor further includes first and second magnetic shields with the layers of the sensor along with the polish resistant material and insulating material disposed between the first and second magnetic shields.

Abstract: Magnetoresistive (MR) elements having pinning layers formed from a permanent magnetic material are disclosed. An MR element of the invention includes a first pinning layer, a first pinned layer, a first spacer/barrier layer, a free layer, a second spacer/barrier layer, a second pinned layer, and a second pinning layer. One of the first pinning layer or the second pinning layer is formed from a permanent magnetic material, such as CoPt or CoPtCr. The other of the first pinning layer or the second pinning layer is formed from an antiferromagnetic (AFM) material, such as IrMn or PtMn.

Abstract: Magnetoresistive (MR) elements are disclosed that include pinned layers having canted magnetic moments. An MR element of the invention includes a first pinning layer, a first pinned layer, a first spacer/barrier layer, a free layer, a second spacer/barrier layer, a second pinned layer, and a second pinning layer. The first pinned layer has a canted magnetic moment. By having a canted magnetic moment, the first pinned layer acts as a bias layer to bias the free layer, and acts as a reference layer to enhance the MR signal in the MR element.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor and method for forming the magnetoresistive sensor. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a first layer and an antiparallel free layer disposed on the first layer. The antiparallel free layer includes a first free layer disposed on the first layer and a first ferromagnetic coupling free layer disposed on the first free layer. The first ferromagnetic coupling layer is configured to provide increased coupling between the first free layer and an antiferromagnetic coupling layer. The antiparallel free layer also includes the antiferromagnetic coupling layer disposed on the first ferromagnetic coupling free layer, a second ferromagnetic coupling free layer disposed on the antiferromagnetic coupling layer, and a second free layer disposed on the second ferromagnetic coupling free layer. The second ferromagnetic coupling layer is configured to provide increased coupling between the second free layer and the antiferromagnetic coupling layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to manufacturing pre-sliders by annealing to saturation. According to one embodiment, pre-sliders are lapped to prepare for air bearing surfaces for the pre-sliders. The pre-sliders are annealed to saturation to level off the amount of overcoat expansion for the pre-sliders.

Abstract: A magnetic read head and a method for manufacturing a magnetic read head are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing the magnetic read head comprising a pinning layer disposed over a substrate of the magnetic read head, a pinned layer, a reference layer, a tunneling barrier layer, and a free layer, wherein the free layer is in contact with the tunneling barrier layer. The method further includes milling partially through the free layer from a back surface, thereby creating an exposed face of the free layer which is coplanar with the substrate and oxidizing a portion of the free layer between the exposed face and the tunneling barrier layer. The method further includes milling through the free layer, tunneling barrier layer, reference layer, pinned layer, and pinning layer along lateral sides of the magnetic read head.

Abstract: A magnetic storage system in which a magnetoresistive (MR) transducer utilizes a high coercivity magnetic material to produce a bias field for achieving higher signal output with low currents for narrow track width applications. Strips of high coercivity magnetic material contiguously contact opposite track-overlying edges of an MR layer. Each strip has a horizontal component of magnetization times its thickness that is at least equal to a horizontal component of magnetization of the MR layer times its thickness before the MR layer is biased by the strips, and each strip has its magnetization direction canted at an angle .phi. from its horizontal component. The MR layer is asymmetrically positioned between spaced magnetic shields and the MR layer is separated by a conductive nonmagnetic spacer layer from a shunt layer.

Abstract: First and second shield layers of a read head are constructed of a lamination of NiMn and Fe-based layers to improve the performance of the shield layers when they are subjected to high external fields, such as from the pole tips of a write head combined therewith. Without lamination with one or more NiMn layers, many shield materials do not return to the same domain configuration after excitation from an external field. The result is that the Fe-based material assumes a different domain configuration after each excitation which changes the bias point of the MR sensor of the read head. By laminating with NiMn, the uniaxial anisotropy of the material can be increased to provide uniform domain configuration and exchange pinning between shield material NiMn returns the material to the same configuration after each external field excitation.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive head is provided which includes a magnetoresistive thin film sensing element. The sensing element has film surfaces which are bounded by top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces, the bottom surface forming a portion of an air bearing surface. First and second thin film gap layers and first and second thin film shield layers are provided. The magnetoresistive element and between the first and second gap layers. The magnetoresistive element, the first and second gap layers are located between the first and second shield layers. One end of the MR element is electrically shorted to the first shield layer, and an opposite end of the MR element is electrically shorted to the second shield layer. This arrangement makes each shield layer serve as current carrying leads for the magnetoresistive head.

Abstract: A thin film orthogonal MR head is provided which includes a single MR stripe, a first lead layer which has first and second ends and a second lead layer which has first and second ends, the first end of the first lead layer being connected to the bottom portion of the MR stripe and the first end of the second lead layer being connected to a top portion of the MR stripe. First and second terminals are provided, the second end of the first layer being connected to the first terminal and the second end of the second lead layer being connected to the second terminal. The second lead layer extends across the MR stripe between the top and bottom portions of the MR stripe so as to induce a magnetic bias field into the MR stripe when a sense current is conducted through the MR stripe via the first and second terminals. Only the first and second terminals are employed for providing sense current for the MR stripe and transverse biasing of the MR stripe.

Abstract: A high-sensitivity orthogonal magnetoresistive (MR) read head is provided which employs a single MR stripe. The MR stripe extends perpendicular to an air bearing surface (ABS) of the read head and has an easy axis which extends parallel to the ABS. Longitudinal biasing layers are magnetostatically-coupled to the MR stripe for biasing the MR stripe parallel to the ABS. The longitudinal biasing layers and the MR stripe are connected so that their film surfaces lie within a common plane. First and second leads are connected to the MR stripe in a spaced-apart relationship for conducting a sense current through the MR stripe perpendicular to the ABS. The first lead is connected to the MR stripe and the longitudinal biasing layers at the ABS in a substantially planar configuration. A transverse biasing conductor is coupled to the MR stripe for biasing the MR stripe. In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal biasing layers are constructed of amorphous CoSm.

Abstract: First and second shield layers of a read head are constructed of a lamination of NiMn and Fe-based layers to improve the performance of the shield layers when they are subjected to high external fields, such as from the pole tips of a write head combined therewith. Without lamination with one or more NiMn layers, many shield materials do not return to the same domain configuration after excitation from an external field. The result is that the Fe-based material assumes a different domain configuration after each excitation which changes the bias point of the MR sensor of the read head. By laminating with NiMn, the uniaxial anisotropy of the material can be increased to provide uniform domain configuration and exchange pinning between shield material NiMn returns the material to the same configuration after each external field excitation.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor in which the MR layer is transversely biased by a soft magnetic layer separated from the MR layer by a nonmagnetic spacer layer an antiferromagnetic stabilization layer of NiO provides a stabilizing exchange-coupled magnetic field to the transverse bias layer insuring that the transverse bias layer is fully saturated in a preferred direction during sensor operation.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor in which the MR layer is transversely biased by a soft magnetic layer separated from the MR layer by a nonmagnetic spacer layer an antiferromagnetic stabilization layer of NiO provides a stabilizing exchange-coupled magnetic field to the transverse bias layer insuring that the transverse bias layer is fully saturated in a preferred direction during sensor operation.

Abstract: A method is provided for eliminating lead to shield electrical shorts at the ABS of an MR read head. The electrical shorts are eliminated by removing streaks of conductive material which extend between the conductive leads and the conductive shields across first and second insulative gap layers. A photoresist layer is formed over the edge surface of the MR stripe at the ABS along with coextensive widths of edge surfaces of other thin film surfaces at the ABS. The uncovered edge surfaces of the remaining thin film layers at the ABS are then subjected to reactive ion etching to remove about 500.ANG. of the uncovered edge surfaces. With a photoresist layer approximately 10 .mu.m thick, the edge surface of the MR stripe is fully protected during this process. After the etching step, the photoresist layer is removed and the MR read head is free of electrical shorts between the leads and the shields.

Abstract: A thin film magnetoresistive head is provided which has a magnetoresistive thin film sensing element. The film surfaces of the sensing element are bounded by top and bottom surfaces and a pair of side surfaces, the bottom surface forming a portion of an air-bearing surface. First and second sense current thin film lead layers are provided. The first lead layer is electrically connected to the top surface of the magnetoresistive element and the second lead layer is electrically connected to the bottom surface of the magnetoresistive element. First and second gap layers and first and second shield layers are provided. The magnetoresistive element is located between the first and second gap layers. The magnetoresistive element, the lead layers, and the first and second gap layers are located between the first and second shield layers. Provision is made for electrically connecting the second lead layer to the second shield layer and provision is made for electrically connecting the first and second shield layers.

Abstract: A head structure for reading and writing perpendicular transitions from and to a moving recording medium. The head structure comprises an auxiliary magnetic pole having a tapered edge adjacent its air bearing surface that is oriented transverse to the direction of motion of a recording medium. A magnetoresistive gradiometer employed as the read mechanism is formed within a layer of insulating material disposed on the auxiliary pole member. The gradiometer comprises two magnetoresistive members separated by dielectric material, and two shield members disposed on opposite sides of the magnetoresistive members. The shield members shield the magnetoresistive members from undesired magnetic fields and thus improve the resolution of the signals read from the medium. A coil is formed on and encapsulated within a layer of photoresist material deposited above the layer of insulating material.

Abstract: A a dual element magnetoresistive sensor that uses the longitudinal field produced by the sense/bias currents to initialize the elements into a stable antiparallel state. The dual element magnetoresistive sensor comprises two magnetoresistive elements having first and second conductors coupled thereto. The first and second conductors are oriented in the same direction as the magnetoresistive elements in their contact areas. A third conductor is disposed between and coupled to the two magnetoresistive elements at their opposite ends. The third conductor is oriented transverse to the directions of the first and second sensor elements, and is adapted to conduct current therethrough in a direction transverse to the currents conducted by the first and second conductors. Currents conducted by all three conductors self-initialize the magnetoresistive elements into a single domain state.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive head structure that incorporates a thin film magnetoresistive transducer that is suitable for use in perpendicular and longitudinal recording heads. This structure includes first and second dielectrically separated magnetoresistive members that have noncontacting first ends. Sense conductors are disposed in contact with the first ends of the magnetoresistive members and are adapted to provide sense currents thereto. A bias current conductor arrangement is disposed adjacent to the magnetoresistive members and is separated therefrom by dielectric and is adapted to provide bias current thereto. A common conductor is disposed in contact with the second ends of the magnetoresistive members and is adapted to short the second ends thereof and provide a return path for the sense and bias currents. In one embodiment, the bias conductor arrangement passes between the magnetoresistive members and thus provides for longitudinal transition detection.

Abstract: A thin film recording head which utilizes polyimide as the coil encapsulant. The polyimide encapsulant is self planarizing and lends itself to processing of the coil vias, magnetic shunt vias and apex tapers. Methods of fabricating a thin film recording head and forming coil vias, magnetic shunt vias and apex tapers are also disclosed. In general, an insulating material is deposited on a bottom magnetic yoke. A first layer of polyimide is then deposited of the insulating material. Then, a three layer photoresist structure is deposited on the first layer of polyimide, which includes a transfer layer deposited between two layers of photoresist. The top layer of photoresist is developed and the transfer layer is etched. The first layer of photoresist is then etched into the polyimide layer to form troughs therein. The coil material is then deposited into the etched troughs. The coil material comprises a layer of metal having a relatively thin passivation layer deposited thereover.