Giant magnetoresistive sensor having horizontal stabilizer

摘要

A giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor for reading information from a magnetic storage medium has a first non-magnetoresistive layer, a first magnetoresistive layer formed on the first non-magnetoresistive layer, a second non-magnetoresitive layer formed on the first magnetoresistive layer, a second magnetoresistive layer formed on the second non-magnetoresistive layer, and a third non-magnetoresistive layer formed on the second magnetoresistive layer. The first non-magnetoresistive layer is provided with a single step on a surface of the first non-magnetoresistive layer. The step has an edge extending in a direction substantially parallel to a plane of a working surface of the GMR sensor.

主权项

1. A giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor for reading information from a magnetic storage medium, the GMR sensor having a working surface oriented proximate the magnetic storage medium during operation of the GMR sensor, the GMR sensor comprising:
a first non-magnetoresistive layer; a first magnetoresistive layer formed on the first non-magnetoresistive layer; a second non-magnetoresitive layer formed on the first magnetoresistive layer; a second magnetoresistive layer formed on the second non-magnetoresistive layer; and wherein the first non-magnetoresistive layer is provided with only a single step on a surface thereof, the step providing a transitional surface in the first non-magnetoresistive layer between first and second levels of the surface of the first non-magnetoresistive layer and having an edge along a line formed by a junction of the transitional surface and the first level of the surface of the non-magnetoresistive layer, the edge extending in a direction substantially parallel to a plane of the working surface of the GMR sensor.