High density giant magnetoresistive transducer with recessed sensor

Abstract

A magnetic transducer employs a giant magnetoresistive sensor whose sensing surface is separated by a dielectric layer from a magnetically recorded surface carrying recorded data signals to be read back by the transducer. The dielectric layer serves to protect the sensing layer from corrosion, electrostatic discharge from the record surface, mechanical damage from asperities, thermal asperities from heating resulting from close contact between the transducer and the record surface, and damage from exposure during lapping operations. This structure also reduces the readback pulse width and offtrack assymmetry, and improves servo linearity, thereby increasing recording density. The reduced signal amplitude is compensated for by the use of a giant magnetoresistive transducer with an intrinsically large output. The use of the recessed transducer reduces saturation of the transducer due to the record medium flux at reduced signal amplitudes, thereby increasing readback efficiency.