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:
Sep. 06, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 29, 2014
Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Junjie Quan, Fremont, CA (US);
Kunliang Zhang, Fremont, CA (US);
Min Li, Fremont, CA (US);
Ruhang Ding, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Yewhee Chye, Hayward, CA (US);
Glen Garfunkel, San Jose, CA (US);
Wenyu Chen, San Jose, CA (US);
Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A MR sensor is disclosed with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer recessed behind a first stack of layers including a free layer and non-magnetic spacer to reduce reader shield spacing and enable increased areal density. The AFM layer may be formed on a first pinned layer in the first stack that is partially embedded in a second pinned layer having a front portion at an air bearing surface (ABS) to improve pinning strength and avoid a morphology effect. In another embodiment, the AFM layer is embedded in a bottom shield and surrounds the sidewalls and back side of an overlying free layer in the sensor stack to reduce reader shield spacing. Pinning strength is improved because of increased contact between the AFM layer and a pinned layer. The free layer is aligned above a bottom shield center section.