Read Rite Corporation

Sukesh Mahajan

Nader Mahvan

Raman J Basi

A soft adjacent layer made from a ternary alloy material and a MR sensor utilizing this soft adjacent layer. The ternary alloy material CoXY includes cobalt (Co), a first transition metal X and a second transition metal Y. In a preferred embodiment, X is niobium (Nb) and Y is titanium (Ti) so that the resulting ternary alloy material is CoNbTi. Alternatively, X and Y may be any transition metals such that the resulting ternary alloy material CoXY exhibits properties similar to CoNbTi. The high-density MR sensor of the present invention includes a SAL made from the ternary alloy material, a MR layer and a non-magnetic spacer sandwiched between the SAL and MR layer.

CoNbTi as high resistivity SAL material for high-density MR

A magnetic read element for use in magnetic data retrieval includes a NiFeCr seed layer and an electrically insulating spacer layer between an MR stripe and a soft adjacent layer formed of, for example, NiFeRh. The magnetic read element includes a magnetoresistive stripe and a seed layer formed of NiFeCr that is interfacially adjacent the magnetoresistive stripe. The read element also includes a spacer layer adjacent the seed layer, with the seed layer being disposed between the magnetoresistive stripe and the spacer layer. The spacer layer is formed of an electrically insulating material. In addition, a soft adjacent layer is included in the read element, adjacent the seed layer and formed of a low-coercivity, high-permeability magnetic material. The spacer layer can be formed of Ta, while the soft adjacent layer can be formed of NiFeRh. The magnetic read element can be incorporated in a read/write head, and further incorporated in a read/write system for data retrieval. A method of the present invention includes providing a substrate, forming a soft adjacent layer of low-coercivity, high-permeability material above the substrate, forming a spacer layer of electrically insulating material above the soft adjacent layer, forming a seed layer of NiFeCr above the spacer layer, and forming a magnetoresistive stripe above and interfacially adjacent the seed layer.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Sukesh Mahajan