Seagate Technology Incorporated

Zhiguo Ge

Eric Walter Singleton

Shaun Eric McKinlay

Jae-Young Yi

Victor Sapozhnikov

Mohammed Shariat Ullah Patwari

Konstantin Nikolaev

Liwen Tan

A magnetic stack is disclosed. The magnetic stack includes a magnetically responsive lamination that includes a ferromagnetic free layer, a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure, and a spacer layer positioned between the ferromagnetic free layer and the SAF structure. The magnetically responsive lamination is separated from a sensed data bit stored in an adjacent medium by an air bearing surface (ABS). The stack also includes a first antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure coupled to the SAF structure a predetermined offset distance from the ABS, and a second AFM structure that is separated from the first AFM structure by a first shield layer.

Magnetic element with reduced shield-to-shield spacing

A reader stack, such as for a magnetic storage device, the stack having a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer, a magnetic capping layer adjacent to the top SAF layer, an RKKY coupling layer adjacent to the magnetic capping layer opposite the top SAF layer, and a free layer adjacent to the RKKY coupling layer opposite the magnetic capping layer. Also included is a method for biasing a free layer in a reader stack by providing an exchange coupling between the free layer and a top synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer using a layer having RKKY coupling property positioned between the free layer and the top SAF layer and a magnetic capping layer between the SAF layer and the layer having RKKY coupling property.

Sensor stack structure with RKKY coupling layer between free layer and capping layer

The implementations disclosed herein provide for a spin transport sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent a shield element. The SAF extends to an air-bearing surface (ABS) and provides a current path from a current source to an ABS-region of a spin conductor layer. Spin current diffuses from the spin conductor layer to an adjacent free layer, which generates a measurable electrical voltage in a free layer of the spin transport sensor. The SAF serves as both a magnetic shield and a spin injector to the spin conductor layer.

Spin transport sensor

A magnetic element is generally provided that can be implemented as a data reader. Various embodiments may connect a magnetic stack to a top shield and separate the magnetic stack from a bi-layer side shield. The bi-layer side shield may have a fixed magnetization layer and a soft magnetic layer each magnetically isolated from the top shield.

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Lakeville, MN, United States of America

Zhiguo Ge