Continuous junction spin valve read head stabilized without hard bias layers

摘要

A spin valve sensor with a continuous junction is provided which has a sensor portion of a free layer longitudinally biased by first and second AFM biasing layers that are exchange coupled to first and second side portions of the free layer and a sensor portion of an AFM pinning layer that pins a sensor portion of a pinned layer perpendicular to the ABS in either a top spin valve or a bottom spin valve sensor. Magnetic spins of the first and second AFM biasing layers are set by a field longitudinal to the free layer in the presence of heat at the wafer level and magnetic spins of the sensor portion of the AFM pinning layer are set by a current pulse through the first and second leads to the spin valve sensor which sufficiently heat the sensor portion and cause a current pulse field from the free layer which acts on a pinned layer in the spin valve sensor to set the magnetic spins of the sensor portion of the AFM pinning layer perpendicular to the ABS without disturbing the orientation of the magnetic spins of the first and second AFM biasing layers.