Abstract: An MR read head in which increased sensitivity is achieved by a flux path that enables an increased amount of flux that enters the MR element at its top edge on a read operation to pass through the entirety of the MR read element. This improved path is achieved by forming an extension area on the bottom inner edge of the MR read element. The extension extends through an aperture in an insulator layer to a first magnetic pole piece. This extension provides a low-impedance path that permits a higher percentage of the flux entering the MR element at its top portion to travel through the entirety of the MR element and thereby generates an increased signal output per unit of detected flux.

Abstract: This method of manufacturing a multi-turn multi-track composite recording head increases the cross sectional area of the conductors used to implement the windings in the recording head. This is accomplished by etching a recess into the ferrite substrate of the first ferrite magnetic pole piece to receive the winding. This recess may be deep enough to incorporate the entirety of the winding. This configuration does not constrain the gap size but simply increases the space into which the winding is placed. The thickness of the winding deposited in this space is no longer constrained by the dimensions of the gap but can be equal to the gap dimension plus the depth of the recess etched into the ferrite substrate.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) layer is placed offcenter the distance between two shields to enhance self-biasing. Information is carried on a magnetizable medium as recorded magnetic areas. The shields are spaced apart by a distance on the order of and less than the shortest recorded wavelength for which the head is meant to be used. The MR element and the shields have their edges nearest the medium in a common plane perpendicular to the vertical component of a signal from the recorded area. An additional shunt bias layer may be provided immediately adjacent and coextensive the MR element, and the head may serve one or many tracks.