Abstract: An MR read head has first and second lead layers protected by first, second and third insulation layers in addition to the first and second insulative gap layers substantially all the way from the side edges of an MR sensor to terminals. The first and second insulation layers do not extend outside of the first and second lead layer sites so that greater heat dissipation can be realized from the MR sensor. Each lead layer comprises first and second lead layer films. Where these films overlap for electrical connection their top and bottom surfaces are protected by the first and second insulation layers and their edges are protected by the third insulation layer. Where the first lead layer film extends from the second lead layer film toward the respective terminal its bottom surface is protected by the first insulation layer and its top surface and its side edges are protected by the third insulation layer. Only three masks are required for fabricating or constructing these components.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) head and a method are disclosed providing a longitudinal bias layer and conductor leads at end regions of sensor elements to form a sensor region between the end regions. A uniform longitudinal bias thin film layer is deposited overlaying the entirety of the upper MR sensor, and a uniform conductor thin film layer is deposited overlaying the entirety of the longitudinal bias thin film layer. A photoresist process is conducted over the conductor thin film layer to develop a mask of the end regions and to expose a central region between the end regions.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor having passive end regions separated by a central active region in which an MR sensing element is formed over substantially only the central active region. The MR sensor is defined by forming a resist pattern over both the end regions and the MR sensing element followed by an etching step where the duration of the etching is controlled by the time it takes to remove the exposed end regions' material and not by the time it takes to remove the excess MR material in the center active region. This creates an MR sensor having planar sides along the circumference of the end regions where the planar sides have no thinned edges or shoulders. The MR sensor further has no remnant MR material along the inner planar side of the end regions behind the MR sensor's trackwidth edge and adjacent to the MR sensor's back side.

Abstract: A multilayered spin valve read head including an antiferromagnetic pinning layer and a ferromagnetic pinned layer which can maintain a high pinning field between the layers while minimizing the coercivity of the pinning layer. The apparatus and method of the invention comprise placing a thin discontinuous nonmagnetic interlayer such as Cu between the antiferromagnetic and the ferromagnetic layers.

Abstract: A spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor uses a laminated antiparallel (AP) pinned layer in combination with an improved antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange biasing layer. The pinned layer comprises two ferromagnetic films separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film such that the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic films are strongly coupled together antiferromagnetically in an antiparallel orientation. This laminated AP pinned layer is magnetically rigid in the small field excitations required to rotate the SVMR sensor's free layer. When the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic layers in this AP pinned layer are nearly the same, the net magnetic moment of the pinned layer is small. However, the exchange field is correspondingly large because it is inversely proportional to the net magnetic moment. The laminated AP pinned layer has its magnetization fixed or pinned by an AF material that is highly corrosion resistant but that has an exchange anisotropy too low to be usable in conventional SVMR sensors.

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: An improved spin valve (SV) magnetoresistive element has its free ferromagnetic layer in the form of a central active region with defined edges and end regions that are contiguous with and abut the edges of the central active region. A layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably a nickel-manganese (Ni--Mn) alloy, is formed on and in contact with the ferromagnetic material in the end regions for exchange coupling with the end regions to provide them with a longitudinal bias of their magnetizations. The pinned ferromagnetic layer in the SV element is pinned by exchange coupling with a different layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably an iron-manganese (Fe--Mn) alloy. This material has a substantially different Neel temperature from that of the antiferromagnetic material on the end regions.

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 magnetic disk storage system wherein a magnetic includes a magnetoresistive sensor is described. The MR sensor comprises a sputtered layer of ferromagnetic material and a sputtered layer of antiferromagnetic nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) to provide an exchange coupled longitudinal bias field in the MR element. The antiferromagnetic layer overlays the MR layer and may be patterned to provide the longitudinal bias field only in the end regions of the MR layer. Alternatively, the antiferromagnetic layer can underlay the MR layer with a Zr underlayer to enhance the exchange-coupled field. As initially deposited, the Ni-Mn layer has a face-centered-cubic crystalline structure and exhibits little or no exchange-coupled field. After one annealing cycle at a relatively low temperature, the Ni-Mn layer crystalline structure is face-centered-tetragonal and exhibits increased crystallographic ordering and provides sufficient exchange coupling for the MR element to operate.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor comprising a sputtered layer of ferromagnetic material and a sputtered layer of antiferromagnetic nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) to provide an exchange coupled longitudinal bias field in the MR element is described. The antiferromagnetic layer overlays the MR layer and may be patterned to provide the longitudinal bias field only in the end regions of the MR layer. Alternatively, the antiferromagnetic layer can underlay the MR layer with a Zr underlayer to enhance the exchange-coupled field. As initially deposited, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-cubic and exhibits little or no exchange-coupled field. After one annealing cycle at a relatively low temperature, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-tetragonal and exhibits increased crystallographic ordering and provides sufficient exchange coupling for the MR element to operate. Addition of chromium to the Ni-Mn alloy provides increased corrosion resistance.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor comprising a sputtered layer of ferromagnetic material and a sputtered layer of antiferromagnetic nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) to provide an exchange coupled longitudinal bias field in the MR element is described. The antiferromagnetic layer overlays the MR layer and may be patterned to provide the longitudinal bias field only in the end regions of the MR layer. Alternatively, the antiferromagnetic layer can underlay the MR layer with a Zr underlayer to enhance the exchange-coupled field. As initially deposited, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-cubic and exhibits little or no exchange-coupled field. After one annealing cycle at a relatively low temperature, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-tetragonal and exhibits increased crystallographic ordering and provides sufficient exchange coupling for the MR element to operate. Addition of chromium to the Ni-Mn alloy provides increased corrosion resistance.