Multilayer magnetoresistive sensor

Claim 2

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising a first and second layer of ferromagnetic material separated by a layer of nonmagnetic material forming a multilayered magnetic structure, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said array being separated from adjacent elements by a space, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure, said first and second ferromagnetic layers of each said element being antiferromagnetically coupled by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between said first and second ferromagnetic layers of each said element, the net interaction field between said first and second ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in said first ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in said second ferromagnetic layer, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers.

Claim 3

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein each said element of said array has a desired shape with the largest dimension in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure being less than 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 4

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 2 wherein each said element has a generally circular shape.

Claim 5

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 2 wherein each said element has a generally rectangular shape.

Claim 6

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form an array of discontinuities perpendicular to said ferromagnetic layers and intercepting the magnetic anisotropy direction in each said ferromagnetic layer.

Claim 7

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 5 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form an array of apertures through said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 8

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 6 wherein said array of apertures form an array of generally circular holes through said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 9

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 5 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form at least one strip having a modulated width.

Claim 10

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 8 wherein said strip having modulated width comprises an array of connected generally circular elements.

Claim 11

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein each said element of said array comprises a generally circular element having a maximum diameter of 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 12

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein each said element of said array has a generally rectangular shape with the largest dimension being less than 10 micrometers.

Claim 13

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron and ferromagnetic alloys based on iron, cobalt, nickel or nickel-iron.

Claim 14

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 12 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises nickel-iron.

Claim 15

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein said nonmagnetic layer comprises an electrically conductive material.

Claim 16

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 14 wherein said electrically conductive material is a material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and ruthenium and conductive alloys of silver, gold, copper or ruthenium.

Claim 17

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 15 wherein sa id electrically conductive material is silver.

Claim 18

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 15 wherein sa id electrically conductive material is copper.

Claim 19

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 1 wherein said conduction layer comprises a nonmagnetic electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum and ruthenium.

Claim 20

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 18 wherein said nonmagnetic electrically conductive material comprises chromium.

Claim 21

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers.

Claim 22

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers.

Claim 23

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 20 further comprising a capping layer formed over the top layer of said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 24

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 further wherein said capping layer comprises a nonmagnetic high resistivity material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide.

Claim 25

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said art ay being separated from adjacent elements by a space, each element of said array having the same layered structure as said multilayered magnetic structure, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 26

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 23 wherein said elements of said array have a desired shape with the largest dimension in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure being less than 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 27

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 24 wherein each said element comprises a generally circular element having a maximum diameter of 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 28

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 24 wherein each said element has a generally rectangular shape.

Claim 29

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 20 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form an array of discontinuities perpendicular to said ferromagnetic layers and intercepting the magnetic anisotropy direction in each said ferromagnetic layer.

Claim 30

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 27 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form an array of apertures through said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 31

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 28 wherein said array of apertures form an array of generally circular holes through said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 32

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 27 wherein said multilayered magnetic structure is patterned to form at least one strip having a modulated width.

Claim 33

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 30 wherein said strip having modulated width comprises an array of connected generally circular elements.

Claim 34

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron and ferromagnetic alloys based on iron, cobalt, nickel or nickel-iron.

Claim 35

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 32 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises nickel-iron.

Claim 36

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 wherein said nonmagnetic material comprises an electrically conductive material.

Claim 37

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 34 wherein said electrically conductive material is a material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and ruthenium and conductive alloys of silver, gold, copper or ruthenium.

Claim 38

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 35 wherein said electrically conductive material is silver.

Claim 39

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 35 wherein said electrically conductive material is copper.

Claim 40

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 23 wherein said conduction layer comprises a nonmagnetic electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum and ruthenium and conductive alloys of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum or ruthenium.

Claim 41

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 38 wherein said nonmagnetic electrically conductive material comprises chromium.

Claim 42

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 38 wherein said nonmagnetic electrically conductive material comprises tantalum.

Claim 43

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 wherein N is selected from the range of 2 to 10.

Claim 44

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 21 wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the odd-numbered ferromagnetic layers substantially equals the sum of the thicknesses of the even-numbered ferromagnetic layers.

Claim 45

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 42 wherein the thickness of said top and base layers of ferromagnetic material is substantially one-half the thickness of the ferromagnetic layers within said multilayered imagnetic structure.

Claim 46

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising: a substrate; an isolation layer deposited on a major surface of said substrate; a bias layer of a magnetic material deposited on said isolation layer; a magnetoresistive sensing element deposited over said bias layer and comprising a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material, formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said array being separated from adjacent elements by a space, each element of said array having the same layered structure as said multilayered magnetic structure, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure; a capping layer formed over the top layer of said multilayered magnetic structure; and a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic material deposited on said bias layer and disposed between said bias layer and said magnetoresistive sensing element for magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element.

Claim 47

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising: a substrate; an isolation layer deposited on a major surface of said substrate; a bias layer of a magnetic material deposited on said isolation layer; a magnetoresistive sensing element deposited over said bias layer and comprising a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material, formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said array being separated from adjacent elements by a space, each element of said array having the same layered structure as said multilayered magnetic structure, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure; a capping layer formed over the top layer of said multilayered magnetic structure; and a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic material deposited on said bias layer and disposed between said bias layer and said magnetoresistive sensing element for magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element.

Claim 48

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein the number N of bilayers is selected from a range of 1 to 10.

Claim 49

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein each said element comprises a generally circular element having a maximum diameter of 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 50

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein each said element comprises a generally rectangular element having a maximum dimension of less than 10 micrometers.

Claim 51

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron and ferromagnetic alloys based on iron, cobalt, nickel or nickel-iron.

Claim 52

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 48 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises nickel-iron.

Claim 53

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said nonmagnetic layers comprise an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and ruthenium and conductive alloys of silver, gold, copper or ruthenium.

Claim 54

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 50 wherein said electrically conductive material is silver.

Claim 55

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said spacer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium and hafnium.

Claim 56

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 52 wherein said spacer layer comprises tantalum.

Claim 57

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically soft material for providing said magnetic bias field.

Claim 58

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 54 wherein said magnetically soft material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nickel-iron and nickel-iron-rhodium.

Claim 59

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically hard material for providing said magnetic bias field.

Claim 60

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 56 wherein said magnetically hard material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cobalt-platinum and cobalt-platinum-chromium.

Claim 61

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said ferromagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms.

Claim 62

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said nonmagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 400 angstroms.

Claim 63

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein said conduction layer comprises a nonmagnetic electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum and ruthenium and conductive alloys of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum or ruthenium.

Claim 64

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 60 wherein said nonmagnetic electrically conductive material comprises tantalum.

Claim 65

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 44 wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the odd-numbered ferromagnetic layers substantially equals the sum of the thicknesses of the even-numbered ferromagnetic layers within said multilayered magnetic structure.

Claim 66

A magnetic storage system comprising: a magnetic storage medium having a plurality of tracks defined on a surface thereof for recording of data; a magnetic transducer maintained in a closely spaced position relative to said magnetic storage medium during relative motion between said magnetic transducer and said magnetic storage medium, said magnetic transducer including a multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising a magnetoresistive sensing element including a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said array being separated from adjacent elements by a space, each element of said array having the same layered structure as said multilayered magnetic structure, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure, a bias layer of a magnetic material for providing a magnetic bias field for said magnetoresistive sensing element, a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic mater al disposed between said bias layer and said base layer of said magnetoresistive sensing element magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element, and conductive leads connected to opposite ends of said magnetoresistive sensing element, respectively, for connecting said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor to external circuitry and for coupling a sense current to said magnetoresistive sensing element; actuator means coupled to said magnetic transducer for moving said magnetic transducer to selected data tracks on said magnetic storage medium; and detection means coupled to said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor for detecting resistance changes in said magnetoresistive sensing element responsive to applied magnetic fields representative of data bits recorded in said magnetic storage medium intercepted by said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor.

Claim 67

A magnetic storage system comprising: a magnetic storage medium having a plurality of tracks defined on a surface thereof for recording of data; a magnetic transducer maintained in a closely spaced position relative to said magnetic storage medium during relative motion between said magnetic transducer and said magnetic storage medium, said magnetic transducer including a multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising a magnetoresistive sensing element including a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed over a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetostatic coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a multiple element planar array, each element of said array being separated from adjacent elements by a space, each element of said array having the same layered structure as said multilayered magnetic structure, a conduction layer of electrically conductive material being formed over said array, said electrically conductive material filling the spaces between said elements for providing electrical conductivity between said elements in the plane of said multilayered magnetic structure, a bias layer of a magnetic material for providing a magnetic bias field for said magnetoresistive sensing element, a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic mater al disposed between said bias layer and said base layer of said magnetoresistive sensing element magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element, and conductive leads connected to opposite ends of said magnetoresistive sensing element, respectively, for connecting said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor to external circuitry and for coupling a sense current to said magnetoresistive sensing element; actuator means coupled to said magnetic transducer for moving said magnetic transducer to selected data tracks on said magnetic storage medium; and detection means coupled to said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor for detecting resistance changes in said magnetoresistive sensing element responsive to applied magnetic fields representative of data bits recorded in said magnetic storage medium intercepted by said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor.

Claim 68

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein the number N of bilayers is selected from a range of 1 to 10.

Claim 69

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein each said element comprises a generally circular element having a maximum diameter of 10.0 micrometers.

Claim 70

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein each said element comprises a generally rectangular element having a maximum dimension of less than 10 micrometers.

Claim 71

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprises a single element, a maximum dimension of said single element being substantially equal to the data track width.

Claim 72

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron and ferromagnetic alloys based on iron, cobalt, nickel or nickel-iron.

Claim 73

A magnetic storage system as in claim 68 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises nickel-iron.

Claim 74

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said nonmagnetic layers comprise an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and ruthenium and conductive alloys of silver, gold, copper or ruthenium.

Claim 75

A magnetic storage system as in claim 70 wherein said electrically conductive material is silver.

Claim 76

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said spacer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium and hafnium.

Claim 77

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically soft material for providing said magnetic bias field, said magnetically soft material selected from the group consisting of nickel-iron-chromium, nickel-iron-niobium, nickel-iron and nickel-iron-rhodium.

Claim 78

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically hard material for providing said magnetic bias field, said magnetically hard material selected from the group consisting of cobalt-platinum and cobalt-platinum-chromium.

Claim 79

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said ferromagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms.

Claim 80

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said nonmagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 400 angstroms.

Claim 81

A magnetic storage system as in claim 63 wherein said conduction layer comprises a nonmagnetic electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum and ruthenium and conductive alloys of chromium, tantalum, silver, gold, copper, aluminum or ruthenium.

Claim 84

The method of claim 78 wherein said ferromagnetic layers have a thickness within .the range of about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms.

Claim 85

The method of claim 78 wherein said nonmagnetic layers have thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 400 angstroms.

Claim 86

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising: a substrate; an isolation layer deposited on a major surface of said substrate; a bias layer of a magnetic material deposited on said isolation layer; a magnetoresistive sensing element deposited over said bias layer and comprising a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed on a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed on a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetoresistive coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a single magnetoresistive element, said magnetoresistive element having a maximum dimension substantially equal to a desired data track width; a capping layer formed over the top layer of said multilayered magnetic structure; and a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic material deposited on said bias layer and disposed between said bias layer and said magnetoresistive sensing element for magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element.

Claim 87

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor comprising: a substrate; an isolation layer deposited on a major surface of said substrate; a bias layer of a magnetic material deposited on said isolation layer; a magnetoresistive sensing element deposited over said bias layer and comprising a plurality of N bilayers wherein each bilayer comprises a layer of ferromagnetic material formed on a layer of nonmagnetic material, said N bilayers formed on a base layer of said ferromagnetic material thereby forming a multilayered magnetic structure of alternating layers of ferromagnetic material and nonmagnetic material, the top layer and the base layer being of ferromagnetic material, each ferromagnetic layer being antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent ferromagnetic layers by magnetostatic coupling at opposing edges thereof, an interaction field including components of said magnetoresistive coupling and an exchange coupling existing between adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the net interaction field between adjacent ferromagnetic layers being antiferromagnetic, the magnetization in a ferromagnetic layer being oriented substantially antiparallel to the magnetization in the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, the direction of magnetization in each ferromagnetic layer rotating in response to an applied magnetic field, the resistance of said magnetoresistive sensor varying as a function of the change in the angle between the directions of magnetization in adjacent ferromagnetic layers, said multilayered magnetic structure being patterned to form a single magnetoresistive element, said magnetoresistive element having a maximum dimension substantially equal to a desired data track width; a capping layer formed over the top layer of said multilayered magnetic structure; and a spacer layer of a nonmagnetic material deposited on said bias layer and disposed between said bias layer and said magnetoresistive sensing element for magnetically decoupling said bias layer from said magnetoresistive sensing element.

Claim 88

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein the number N of bilayers is selected from a range of 1 to 10.

Claim 89

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said ferromagnetic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron and ferromagnetic alloys based on iron, cobalt, nickel or nickel-iron.

Claim 90

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said nonmagnetic layers comprise an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and ruthenium and conductive alloys of silver, gold, copper or ruthenium.

Claim 91

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said spacer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium and hafnium.

Claim 92

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically soft material for providing said magnetic bias field, said magnetically soft material selected from the group consisting of nickel-iron-chromium, nickel-iron-niobium, nickel-iron and nickel-iron-rhodium.

Claim 93

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said bias layer comprises a layer of magnetically hard material for providing said magnetic bias field, said magnetically hard material selected from the group consisting of cobalt-platinum and cobalt-platinum-chromium.

Claim 94

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said ferromagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms.

Claim 95

A multilayer magnetoresistive sensor as in claim 81 wherein said nonmagnetic layers have a thickness within the range of about 10 angstroms to about 400 angstroms.