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:
Mar. 21, 2006
Filed:
Nov. 20, 2003
Min LI, Dublin, CA (US);
Kochan Ju, Monte Sereno, CA (US);
Youfeng Zheng, San Jose, CA (US);
Simon Liao, Fremont, CA (US);
Jeiwei Chang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Min Li, Dublin, CA (US);
Kochan Ju, Monte Sereno, CA (US);
Youfeng Zheng, San Jose, CA (US);
Simon Liao, Fremont, CA (US);
Jeiwei Chang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor of the synthetic spin valve type is provided, the sensor comprising a GMR stack having a substantially square lateral cross-section, a Cu spacer layer of smaller square cross-section formed centrally on the GMR stack and a capped ferromagnetic free layer of substantially square, but even smaller cross-sectional area, formed centrally on the spacer layer. The stepped, reduced area geometry of the sensor provides a significant improvement in its GMR ratio (DR/R), a reduced resistance, R, and elimination of Joule heating hot-spots in regions of high resistance such as the antiferromagnetic pinning layer and its seed layer.