US Patent 8174799 Differential magnetoresistive magnetic head

Embodiments of the present invention help to provide a single element type differential magnetoresistive magnetic head capable of achieving high resolution and high manufacturing stability. According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive layered film is formed by stacking an underlayer film, an antiferromagnetic film, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, a soft magnetic free layer, a long distance antiparallel coupling layered film, and a differential soft magnetic free layer. The long distance antiparallel coupling layered film exchange-couples the soft magnetic free layer and the differential soft magnetic free layer in an antiparallel state with a distance of about 3 nanometers through 20 nanometers. By manufacturing the single element type differential magnetoresistive magnetic head using the magnetoresistive layered film, it becomes possible to achieve the high resolution and the high manufacturing stability without spoiling the GMR effect.