Seagate Technology Incorporated

James F Dolejsi

Song Sheng Xue

Patrick Joseph Ryan

Charles H Tolman

Peter I Bonyhard

William P Wood

Mark Thomas Kief

Ladislav Rudolf Pust

Ibro Tabakovic

Vee Sochivy Kong

Juren Ding

Bogdan M Simion

Juan Fernandez-deCastro

A reader formed in a data transducer includes a first shield, a read gap, a second shield, a maanetic compensation layer, and a non-magnetic spacer layer. The first shield is formed of a multilayer comprised of a layer of a first material. The second shield is spaced apart from the first shield by the read gap. The magnetic compensation layer is formed in the first shield and has a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material. The non-magnetic spacer layer separates the first material layer and the compensation layer of the first shield.

Multilayer magnetic shields with compensated thermal protrusion

Overlaid MR structure with magnetostatic stabilized soft adjacent layer

A magneto-resistive sensor has a magneto-resistive element with an active area with an electrical resistance sensitive to changes in magnetic flux. Two hard magnets on opposing sides of the magneto-resistive element magnetically bias the magneto-resistive element. Each hard magnet includes a seed layer of a soft magnetic, electrically conductive material between two magnet layers of a hard magnetic, electrically conductive material laminated longitudinally together such that the seed layer and the magnet layers exhibit unified magnetic properties. The seed layer is preferably an amorphous material such as nitrided sendust. The laminated structure allows for a thicker magnet structure with low electrical resistance but without degradation of magnetic properties due to the increased thickness.

Laminated hard magnet in MR sensor

The present invention is a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor that combines a hard-biasing material with an underlayer of cubic-titanium-tungsten to improve the stability of the MR sensor. The permanency of the hard-biasing material affects both the transverse and longitudinal biasing of the MR sensor, which in turn affects the stability of the MR sensor. The stability of the hard-biasing material is improved by combining it with an underlayer of cubic-titanium-tungsten. The underlayer enhances the hard-biasing material by improving the longitudinal magnetic anisotropy, the coercivity, and the in-plane squareness of the hard-biasing material. The combination of hard-biasing material and cubic-titanium-tungsten underlayer can be used in a variety of MR sensor embodiments, specifically an abutted junction or an overlaid structure. The method of making the abutted junction or overlaid structures is also improved by using cubic-titanium-tungsten as the underlayer of the hard-biasing material. The cubic-titanium-tungsten underlayer can be deposited at temperatures which are normal for the manufacturing of MR sensors, thus extra process steps are not needed. In addition, the process is more consistent and reliable.

Magnetoresistive sensor having a hard-biasing material and a cubic-titanium-tungsten underlayer

An improved magnetoresistive read sensor (,) and a method of fabricating magnetoresistive read sensor (,) that eliminates film removal is disclosed. The magnetoresistive sensor (,) is formed by positioning a first mask (,) on a gap layer (,) split into three regions due to subsequent layers. A first mask (,) is positioned on the central region of the gap layer (,) and a first hard-biasing material (,) is deposited onto the outside regions of the gap layer (,). The first mask (,) is removed and a magnetoresistive element (,) is deposited onto the outside regions of the first hard-biasing material (,) and the central region of gap layer (,), thereby forming an active region (,), a first passive region (,) and a second passive region (,) of the magnetoresistive sensor (,). A spacer layer (,) is deposited onto the magnetoresistive element (,) in all three regions and a soft adjacent layer (,) is deposited onto the spacer layer (,) in all three regions. A second mask (,) is positioned over the active region (,) of the sensor and a second hard-biasing material (,) is deposited onto the soft adjacent layer (,) in the first passive region (,) and the second passive region (,). The second mask (,) is removed and contacts (,) are positioned onto the second hard-biasing material (,).

Method of fabricating a magnetoresistive read sensor

An improved magnetoresistive read sensor (,) and a method of fabricating magnetoresistive read sensor (,) that eliminates film removal is disclosed. The magnetoresistive sensor (,) is formed by positioning a first mask (,) on a gap layer (,) split into three regions due to subsequent layers. A first mask (,) is positioned on the central region of the gap layer (,) and a first hard-biasing material (,) is deposited onto the outside regions of the gap layer (,). The first mask (,) is removed and a magnetoresistive element (,) is deposited onto the outside regions of the first hard-biasing material (,) and the central region of gap layer (,), thereby forming an active region (,), a first passive region (,) and a second passive region (,) of the magnetoresistive sensor (,). A spacer layer (,) is deposited onto the magnetoresistive element (,) in all three regions and a soft adjacent layer (,) is deposited onto the spacer layer (,) in all three regions. A second mask (,) is positioned over the active region (,) of the sensor and a second hard-biasing material (,) is deposited onto the soft adjacent layer (,) in the first passive region (,) and the second passive region (,). The second mask (,) is removed and contacts (,) are positioned onto the second hard- biasing material (,).

Magnetoresistive read sensor

An MR sensor having improved current density distribution, reduced overall resistance and a substantially planar surface is disclosed. The MR sensor includes an MR layer having first and second outer regions and an active region located between the first and second outer regions. A first permanent magnet region is formed upon the first MR layer outer region and defines a first boundary of the MR layer active region. A second permanent magnet region is formed upon the second MR layer outer region and defines a second boundary of the MR layer active region so that a gap region is positioned at least partially between the first and second permanent magnet regions. A spacer layer is formed on the MR layer active region between the first and second permanent magnet regions. A soft adjacent layer is formed in the active region and upon the spacer layer, and, in some preferred embodiments, also at least partially upon the permanent magnet region.

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Chanhassen, MN, United States of America

James F Dolejsi