The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1998
Yiming Huai, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Marcos Lederman, San Francisco, CA (US);
Read-Rite Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides an improved synthetic spin valve sensor having a high resistivity antiparallel coupling layer, typically formed of rhenium, between pinned layers. The spin valve sensor of the present invention may be formed having a layered structure as follows: pinning layer/first pinned layer/high resistivity antiparallel coupling layer/second pinned layer/metallic nonferromagnetic spacer layer/free layer. Capping and seed layers typically are also included. The high resistivity of the antiparallel coupling layer of the present invention reduces shunt current through that layer to improve the GMR effect of the spin valve while maintaining sufficient antiparallel coupling between the pinned layers. The antiparallel coupling layer of the present invention also provides improved thermal stability.