Tunnel valve flux guide structure formed by oxidation of pinned layer

摘要

A flux guided magnetic tunnel junction head includes a ferromagnetic pinned layer having an active region with a front edge recessed from a sensing surface, and a non-active region located between the sensing surface and the active region. The non-active region of the ferromagnetic pinned layer is rendered substantially non-conducting by chemically processing the ferromagnetic material of the ferromagnetic pinned layer in this region. The flux guided MTJ head also includes a ferromagnetic free layer having a front edge substantially coplanar with a sensing surface. The ferromagnetic free layer can function as a flux guide to direct magnetic flux from a recording medium to the tunnel junction. The location of the front edge of the ferromagnetic pinned layer prevents any shorting of the flux guided MTJ head occurring when the head is lapped at the sensing surface.