A magnetoresistive read transducer.

摘要

In a magnetoresistive (MR) read transducer assembly, a thin film MR layer (22) is longitudinally biased only in the passive end regions by exchange bias developed by a thin film (32) of antiferromagnetic material that is deposited in direct contact with a thin film (30) of soft magnetic material which extends across the transducer assembly. The magnetisation of the antiferromagnetic material film is set to produce an exchange bias field which is oriented substantially longitudinally within the passive end regions of the magnetoresistive layer and the end regions of the soft magnetic material film and which is oriented transversely in the central active region of the magnetoresistive layer. The longitudinal bias is developed by exchange coupling between the thin film of antiferromagnetic material and both the MR layer and the thin film of soft magnetic material in the passive regions. However, the thin film of soft magnetic material is separated from the MR layer in the active central region of the MR layer by a decoupling layer (28) which interrupts the exchange coupling so that transverse bias is produced only in the active central region upon connection of a bias source to conductor leads (34, 36) which are connected to the MR layer within the passive region. The transverse bias is produced in that part of the active region of the MR layer in which the bias/sense current and the decoupling layer are both present.