Magnetic reader having a nonmagnetic insertion layer for the pinning layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10242700-B2
Application number	US-201715817543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2017
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A method and system provide a magnetic read apparatus. The magnetic read apparatus includes a read sensor. The read sensor includes a pinning layer, a nonmagnetic insertion layer and a pinned layer. The nonmagnetic insertion layer has a location selected from a first location and a second location. The first location is between the pinned layer and the pinning layer. The second location is within the pinning layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic apparatus comprising:
a magnetic sensor comprising:
a pinning layer;
a pinned layer over the pinning layer; and
a nonmagnetic insertion layer within the pinning layer.

2. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pinning layer comprises a first pinning layer and a second pinning layer, and wherein the nonmagnetic insertion layer is between the first pinning layer and the second pinning layer.

3. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an additional nonmagnetic insertion layer, wherein the additional nonmagnetic insertion layer is between the pinned layer and the pinning layer.

4. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonmagnetic insertion layer comprises at least one of Ag, Mg, Mn, Ir, Pt, Cr, Ti, Si, C, Al, Ru, and Au.

5. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the nonmagnetic insertion layer in a direction perpendicular to a track width direction is at least one Angstrom and not more than five Angstroms.

6. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nonmagnetic insertion layer is discontinuous.

7. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises:
a free layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer.

8. The magnetic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises:
a reference layer;
a nonmagnetic layer between the reference layer and the pinned layer;
a free layer; and
a barrier layer between the free layer and the reference layer.

9. A magnetic apparatus comprising:
a magnetic sensor comprising:
a pinning layer;
a pinned layer over the pinning layer; and
a nonmagnetic insertion layer, wherein a top surface of the nonmagnetic insertion layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the pinning layer.

10. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the nonmagnetic insertion layer is discontinuous.

11. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein nonmagnetic insertion layer comprises at least one of Ag, Mg, Mn, Ir, Pt, Cr, Ti, Si, C, Al, Ru, and Au.

12. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the nonmagnetic insertion layer in a direction perpendicular to a track width direction is at least one Angstrom and not more than five Angstroms.

13. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises:
a free layer; and
a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer.

14. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises:
a reference layer;
a nonmagnetic layer between the reference layer and the pinned layer;
a free layer; and
a barrier layer between the free layer and the reference layer.

15. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the nonmagnetic insertion layer shares an interface with the pinned layer.

16. The magnetic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the nonmagnetic insertion layer in a direction perpendicular to a track width direction is based upon a ratio of exchange field between the pinned layer and the pinning layer and a coercivity of the pinned layer.

Assignees

• Western Digital Fremont Llc

Inventors

• Jones Joshua
• Kaiser Christian
• Zheng Yuankai
• Leng Qunwen

Classifications

• G11B2005/3996

  large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices · CPC title

• G11B5/398

  Specially shaped layers · CPC title

• G11B5/3163

  Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers · CPC title

• G11B5/3906 Primary

  Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects · CPC title

• G11B5/39

  using magneto-resistive devices {or effects} · CPC title