Abstract: A read/write head with a bottom shield on a slider substrate and a shared shield spaced apart from the bottom shield. A write head is deposited on the shared shield. A read sensor is spaced apart by reader magnetic gaps from the bottom shield and the shared shield. Electrically insulating layers in the reader magnetic gaps form a thermal resistance between the read sensor and the shields. A thermally conducting nonmagnetic layer in a reader magnetic gap reduces the thermal resistance without a corresponding reduction in the reader magnetic gaps.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film magnetic recording head includes forming a shared pole having a first pole tip, a first top pole segment having a second pole tip, and a write gap layer between the first pole tip and the second pole tip. A write coil can be formed after the first top pole segment and then a second top pole segment can be formed. The second top pole segment includes a connection to the first top pole segment and a connection to the shared pole. A thin film magnetic head includes a shared pole having a first pole tip, a first top pole segment having a second pole tip, a write gap layer positioned between the first pole tip and the second pole tip, a second top pole segment connected to the first top pole segment and to the shared pole, and a write coil positioned between the second top pole segment and the shared pole.

Abstract: A read/write head with a bottom shield on a slider substrate and a shared shield spaced apart from the bottom shield. A write head is deposited on the shared shield. A read sensor is spaced apart by reader magnetic gaps from the bottom shield and the shared shield. Electrically insulating layers in the reader magnetic gaps form a thermal resistance between the read sensor and the shields. A thermally conducting nonmagnetic layer in a reader magnetic gap reduces the thermal resistance without a corresponding reduction in the reader magnetic gaps.

Abstract: A spin valve sensor and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The spin valve sensor includes a first layer of ferromagnetic material and a second layer of ferromagnetic material, with the second layer of ferromagnetic material having a thickness of less than about 100 .ANG.. A first layer of non-ferromagnetic conducting material is positioned between the first and second layers of ferromagnetic material. A NiMn pinning layer is positioned adjacent to the second layer of ferromagnetic material such that the pinning layer is in contact with the second layer of ferromagnetic material, wherein the NiMn pinning layer has a thickness of less than about 200 .ANG. and provides a pinning field for pinning a magnetization of the second layer of ferromagnetic material in a first direction.