Magnetic scissor sensor with closed-loop side shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9679591-B1
Application number	US-201514955878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A scissor type magnetic sensor for magnetic data recording having a flux closure magnetic side shield structure. The magnetic sensor has a magnetic side shield structure that includes a non-magnetic layer within a magnetic material layer, with the non-magnetic layer being removed from the sensor stack so as to define upper and lower magnetic portions of the magnetic structure that are separated from one another at a region away from the sensor stack. The upper and lower magnetic portions are connected with one another in a region near the sensor stack so as to magnetic flux closure structure. The novel magnetic side shield structure provides net neutral magnetization that does not provide an inadvertent biasing to the magnetic free layers of the magnetic sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic sensor, comprising:
a sensor stack having first and second sides, the sensor stack including first and second magnetic free layers; and
a magnetic side shield structure, comprising a magnetic structure having an upper portion and a lower portion and a non-magnetic layer disposed between the upper and lower portions, wherein the non-magnetic layer does not extend to the sensor stack so that the upper and lower portions of the magnetic structure are directly connected with one another.

2. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower portions are physically connected with one another in a region near the sensor stack.

3. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic side shield structure is separated from the sensor stack by a non-magnetic, insulation layer.

4. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to read a data track having a track width, and wherein the non-magnetic layer of the magnetic side shield structure is separated from the sensor stack by a distance of one to two times the track width.

5. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the non-magnetic layer of the magnetic side shield structure comprises Ru.

6. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , further comprising an in-stack magnetic bias structure for biasing the magnetization of the magnetic free layers.

7. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein one of the upper and lower portions of the magnetic side shield structure is magnetically connected with an in-stack magnetic bias structure.

8. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the sensor stack is between leading and trailing magnetic shields, and wherein the magnetic structure of the magnetic side shield structure is magnetically coupled with only one of the leading and trailing magnetic shields.

9. The magnetic sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the magnetic structure of the magnetic side shield structure comprises Ni—Fe.

10. A two dimensional magnetic recording head, comprising:
a magnetic head having a plurality of magnetic sensors, each magnetic sensor comprising:
a sensor stack having first and second sides, the sensor stack including first and second magnetic free layers; and
a magnetic side shield structure, comprising a magnetic structure having an upper portion and a lower portion and a non-magnetic layer disposed between the upper and lower portions, wherein the non-magnetic layer does not extend to the sensor stack so that the upper and lower portions of the magnetic structure are directly connected with one another.

11. The magnetic head as in claim 10 , wherein one of the magnetic sensors is a primary magnetic sensor configured to read a data track, and at least one of the plurality of magnetic sensors is a secondary magnetic sensor.

12. The magnetic head as in claim 11 , wherein the secondary magnetic sensor is arranged so as to be aligned over the data track to be read by the primary magnetic sensor.

13. The magnetic head as in claim 11 , wherein the secondary sensor is laterally offset from the primary magnetic sensor.

14. The magnetic head as in claim 11 , wherein the secondary sensor is arranged so as to be aligned with a data track that is adjacent to the data track to be read by the primary magnetic sensor.

15. The magnetic head as in claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower portions are physically connected with one another in a region near the sensor stack.

16. The magnetic head as in claim 10 , wherein the magnetic side shield structure is separated from the sensor stack by a non-magnetic, insulation layer.

17. The magnetic head as in claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic sensors is configured to define a track width and wherein the non-magnetic layer of the magnetic side shield structure is separated from the sensor stack by a distance of one to two times the track width.

18. The magnetic head as in claim 10 , wherein each magnetic sensor further comprises an in-stack magnetic bias structure for biasing a magnetization of the first and second magnetic free layers.

19. The magnetic head as in claim 10 wherein each magnetic sensor includes a leading shield and a trailing shield, the sensor stack being between the leading shield and trailing shield and wherein the magnetic side shield structure is magnetically connected with only one of the leading shield and trailing shield.

20. A magnetic data recording system, comprising:
a housing;
a magnetic media mounted within the housing;
an actuator;
a slider connected with the actuator for movement adjacent to a surface of the magnetic media; and
a magnetic sensor formed on the slider, the magnetic sensor further comprising:
a sensor stack having first and second sides, the sensor stack including first and second magnetic free layers; and
a magnetic side shield structure, comprising a magnetic structure having an upper portion and a lower portion and a non-magnetic layer disposed between the upper and lower portions, wherein the non-magnetic layer does not extend to the sensor stack so that the upper and lower portions of the magnetic structure are directly connected with one another.

Assignees

• HGST Netherlands BV

Inventors

• Hao Wenqin
• Le Quang
• Liu Xiaoyong
• Song Suping
• Wang Lei

Classifications

• G11B5/3977

  from different information tracks · CPC title

• G11B5/3987

  with provision for closing the magnetic flux during operation · CPC title

• G11B2005/3996

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

• G11B5/3954

  the active elements transducing on a single track · CPC title

• G11B5/3974

  from the same information track, e.g. frequency bands · CPC title