Method and system for providing a read transducer having an improved composite magnetic shield

• US 8,780,505 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont) LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Xiao, Rongfu
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, JEFFERSON A
• Application Number:
  US13/795,333
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 360/319, 360/324.1, 360/324.11, 360/324.12, 360/324.2
• US Class Current: 360/319
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3909 Arrangements using a magnetic tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3912 Arrangements in which the active read-out elements are transducing in association with active magnetic shields, e.g. magnetically coupled shields G11B5/3916 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system provide a magnetic transducer including a first shield, a read sensor, and a second shield. The read sensor is between the first shield and the second shield. The second shield includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer is between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The pinning layer is adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer is coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer. At least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The CoFe portion includes at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe.

Claims

1. A magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:

a first shield;

a read sensor; and

a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

2. The magnetic transducer of claim 1 wherein the read sensor includes at least one edge, the magnetic transducer further comprising:

at least one magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge and residing between the first shield and the second shield.

3. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the first magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

4. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the second magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

5. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein an other of the at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

6. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the first ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

7. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the first magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

8. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is Ru.

9. The magnetic transducer of claim 8 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer has a thickness of at least four Angstroms and not more than ten Angstroms.

10. The magnetic transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

a CoFe layer between the second ferromagnetic layer and the pinning layer.

11. A magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:

a first shield;

a read sensor; and

a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer;

wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

12. A disk drive comprising:

a media;

a slider including a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS), the magnetic read transducer including a first shield, a read sensor and a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

13. The disk drive of claim 12 wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

14. A method for providing a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:

providing a first shield;

providing a read sensor; and

providing a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the second shield including a first ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second ferromagnetic layer and a pinning layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the read sensor and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the pinning layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being coupled antiparallel with the second ferromagnetic layer, at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer including a CoFe portion adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the CoFe portion including at least twenty-five atomic percent and not more than fifty atomic percent Fe;

wherein at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion and a NiFe layer, the CoFe layer residing between the NiFe layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the CoFe portion includes at least thirty-five percent and not more than forty atomic percent Fe.

16. The method of claim 14 of wherein the read sensor includes at least one edge, the magnetic transducer further comprising:

at least one magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge and residing between the first shield and the second shield.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the second magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first magnetic layer includes the CoFe portion.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein an other of the at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer corresponding to the CoFe portion.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the first ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the second magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the second ferromagnetic layer includes the NiFe layer and the CoFe layer and wherein the first magnetic layer includes an additional CoFe layer.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is Ru.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer has a thickness of at least four Angstroms and not more than ten Angstroms.