An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes: a transducer structure having: a lower shield, an upper shield above the lower shield, a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor between the upper and lower shields, an electrical lead layer between the sensor and one of the shields, and a spacer layer between the electrical lead layer and the one of the shields. The upper and lower shields provide magnetic shielding. The electrical lead layer is in electrical communication with the sensor. A conductivity of the electrical lead layer is higher than a conductivity of the spacer layer. A width of the electrical lead layer in a cross-track direction is greater than the width of a free layer of the sensor.

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to magnetic recording heads (such as write heads of data storage devices) that include multilayer structures to facilitate targeted switching and relatively low coercivity. In one or more embodiments, a magnetic recording head includes an iron-cobalt (FeCo) layer having a crystalline structure that is a cubic lattice structure, a first crystalline layer formed of a first material, and a second crystalline layer between the first crystalline layer and the FeCo layer. The second crystalline layer is formed of a second material different from the first material, and the second crystalline layer interfaces both the FeCo layer and the first crystalline layer. The crystalline structure of the FeCo layer has a texture of <100>.

Disclosed herein are magnetic write heads for providing spin-torque-assisted write field enhancement, and hard disk drives comprising such magnetic write heads. Within the write gap, each magnetic write head comprises a main pole, a trailing shield, a spacer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield, a non-magnetic layer disposed between the main pole and the trailing shield, and a magnetic DC-field-generation (DFG) layer adjacent to the spacer and disposed between the spacer and the non-magnetic layer. In some embodiments, the DFG layer is the only magnetic layer within the write gap that is not adjacent to the main pole or the trailing shield.

A magnetoresistance element has a pinning arrangement with two antiferromagnetic pinning layers, two pinned layers, and a free layer. A spacer layer between one of the two antiferromagnetic pinning layers and the free layer has a material selected to allow a controllable partial pinning by the one of the two antiferromagnetic pinning layers.

The present disclosure generally relates to data storage devices, and more specifically, to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic read head. The magnetic read head includes an antiferromagnetic layer recessed from the MFS, a reference layer disposed over the antiferromagnetic layer, a free layer disposed over the reference layer, and a thermally conductive structure disposed over the reference layer. The thermally conductive structure is recessed from the MFS. The thermally conductive structure includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the thermally conductive structure extends from the second portion of the thermally conductive structure towards the MFS. The first portion of the thermally conductive structure is aligned with the free layer in a stripe height direction. With the thermally conductive structure, thermal stabilization of the read head is achieved.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a read sensor utilized in a read head. The read sensor comprises an amorphous break layer disposed on a shield, a seed layer disposed on the amorphous break layer, a first ferromagnetic layer disposed on the seed layer, a barrier layer disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer disposed on the barrier layer. The amorphous break layer comprises CoFeBTa, the seed layer comprises RuAl, and the barrier layer comprises a semiconductor material, such as ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnO, CuSe, or CuInGaSe. The semiconductor barrier layer reduces the resistance-area product of the read sensor. The amorphous break layer breaks the texture between the shield, which has a FCC texture, and the seed layer, which has a BCC texture. The BCC texture of the seed layer is then inherited by the remaining layers disposed over the seed layer.

A stacked structure is positioned on a nonmagnetic metal layer. The stacked structure includes a ferromagnetic layer and an intermediate layer interposed between the nonmagnetic metal layer and the ferromagnetic layer. The intermediate layer includes a NiAlX alloy layer represented by Formula (1): Ni.sub.1Al.sub.2X.sub.3 . . . (1), [X indicates one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Si, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zr, Nb, and Ta, and satisfies an expression of 0<<0.5 in a case of =3/(1+2+3)].

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to magnetic recording heads (such as write heads of data storage devices) that include multilayer structures to facilitate targeted switching and relatively low coercivity. In one or more embodiments, a magnetic recording head includes an iron-cobalt (FeCo) layer having a crystalline structure that is a cubic lattice structure, a first crystalline layer formed of a first material, and a second crystalline layer between the first crystalline layer and the FeCo layer. The second crystalline layer is formed of a second material different from the first material, and the second crystalline layer interfaces both the FeCo layer and the first crystalline layer. The crystalline structure of the FeCo layer has a texture of <100>.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a read sensor utilized in a read head. The read sensor comprises an amorphous break layer disposed on a shield, a seed layer disposed on the amorphous break layer, a first ferromagnetic layer disposed on the seed layer, a barrier layer disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer disposed on the barrier layer. The amorphous break layer comprises CoFeBTa, the seed layer comprises RuAl, and the barrier layer comprises a semiconductor material, such as ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnO, CuSe, or CuInGaSe. The semiconductor barrier layer reduces the resistance-area product of the read sensor. The amorphous break layer breaks the texture between the shield, which has a FCC texture, and the seed layer, which has a BCC texture. The BCC texture of the seed layer is then inherited by the remaining layers disposed over the seed layer.

An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes: a transducer structure having: a lower shield, an upper shield above the lower shield, a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor between the upper and lower shields, an electrical lead layer between the sensor and one of the shields, and a spacer layer between the electrical lead layer and the one of the shields. The upper and lower shields provide magnetic shielding. The electrical lead layer is in electrical communication with the sensor. A conductivity of the electrical lead layer is higher than a conductivity of the spacer layer. A width of the electrical lead layer in a cross-track direction is greater than the width of a free layer of the sensor.