Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Masaya Sakaguci

Toshio Fukazawa

A magnetoresistive thin film head comprises a magnetoresistive element including an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer and a free magnetic layer, and a pair of the right and the left laminated transverse biasing layers, each including a nonmagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer, provided on the free magnetic layer constituting said magnetoresistive element. The layer thickness of said nonmagnetic layer has been established to a certain specific value so that magnetizing direction in said free magnetic layer opposing to the ferromagnetic layer via said nonmagnetic layer assumes a direction that is opposite to that of said ferromagnetic layer.

Method for manufacturing a thin film head

A thin film head includes a GMR element formed of an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinning layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer, a free magnetic layer, and a pair of the right and the left laminated longitudinal biasing layers. Each of the biasing layers contains a high coercivity ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a low coercivity ferromagnetic layer provided on the free magnetic layer of the GMR element. The high coercivity ferromagnetic layer and low coercivity ferromagnetic layer are antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled via the nonmagnetic layer, and the high coercivity ferromagnetic layer and free magnetic layer located next to the high coercivity ferromagnetic layer are ferromagnetically coupled.

MR thin film head with longitudinal-biasing multi-layers of antiferromagnetically-coupled high and low coercivity layers

A magnetoresistive thin film head comprises a magnetoresistive element including an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinning layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer and a free magnetic layer, and a pair of the right and the left laminated transverse biasing layers, each including a nonmagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer, provided on the free magnetic layer constituting said magnetoresistive element. The layer thickness of said nonmagnetic layer has been established to a certain specific value so that magnetizing direction in said free magnetic layer opposing to the ferromagnetic layer via said nonmagnetic layer assumes a direction that is opposite to that of said ferromagnetic layer.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Masaya Sakaguci