Patent attributes
A magnetoresistive sensor having a trackwidth defined by AFM biasing layers disposed beneath a free layer of the sensor. The present invention provides a current in plane magnetoresistive sensor that includes a non-magnetic, electrically conductive layer in a trackwidth region. The non-magnetic, electrically conductive layer can be for example Ta, but could be some other material. This non-magnetic, electrically conductive layer has first and second laterally opposed sides and a planar upper surface. First and second insulating layers are formed at each of the sides of the non-magnetic, electrically conductive layer, and bias layers extend laterally outward from the insulation layers. The bias layers can be constructed of either an antiferromagnetic (AFM) material or could be constructed of a hard magnetic material such as CoPtCr. The bias layers have planar upper surfaces that are coplanar with the upper surface of the non-magnetic, electrically conductive layer.
