An MTJ or MR read sensor is formed by depositing a stack in a reverse order with a free layer (FL) deposited on a lower shield, followed by a tunneling barrier layer (for an MTJ) or a conducting spacer layer (for an MR) and, finally, an antiferromagnetically coupled pinning structure and an upper shield. This reverse order permits a series of etching processes to be accurately performed on the lower shield and the stack together with the formation of biasing layers that are coupled to the lower shield and the stack, without adversely affecting the stability of the pinning structure. Further, the distance between the FL and the shield is accurately determined and repeatable even down to the sub-nm regime. An upper shield can then be formed and also coupled to the biasing layers.

A reader having a sensor stack and a top shield above the sensor stack. The top shield has an upper surface and a lower surface. The reader also includes at least one side shield below the top shield and adjacent to the sensor stack. The reader further includes a decoupling layer between the upper surface of the top shield and the at least one side shield. The decoupling layer is configured to decouple a first portion of the at least one side shield, proximate to the sensor stack, from at least a portion of the top shield.

A read head is disclosed wherein a Spin Hall Effect (SHE) layer is formed on a free layer (FL) in a sensor and between the FL and top shield (S2). Preferably, the sensor has a seed layer, an AP2 reference layer, antiferromagnetic coupling layer, AP1 reference layer, and a tunnel barrier sequentially formed on a bottom shield (S1). In a three terminal configuration, a first current flows between S1 and S2 such that the AP1 reference layer produces a first spin torque on the FL, and a second current flows across the SHE layer thereby generating a second spin torque on the FL that opposes the first spin torque. When the stripe heights of the FL and SHE layer are equal, a two terminal configuration is employed where a current flows between one side of the SHE layer to a center portion thereof and then to S1, or vice versa.

The present disclosure generally relates to a Wheatstone bridge that has four resistors. Each resistor includes a plurality of TMR structures. Two resistors have identical TMR structures. The remaining two resistors also have identical TMR structures, though the TMR structures are different from the other two resistors. Additionally, the two resistors that have identical TMR structures have a different amount of TMR structures as compared to the remaining two resistors that have identical TMR structures. Therefore, the working bias field for the Wheatstone bridge is non-zero.

A method of fabricating a TMR based magnetic sensor in a Wheatstone configuration includes conducting a first anneal of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and conducting a second anneal of the MTJ. The MTJ includes a first antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer, a pinned layer over the first AFM pinning layer, an anti-parallel coupled layer over the pinned layer, a reference layer over the anti-parallel coupled layer, a barrier layer over the reference layer, a free layer over the barrier layer, and a second antiferromagnetic pinning layer over the free layer. The first anneal of the MTJ sets the first AFM pinning layer, the pinned layer, the free layer, and the second AFM pinning layer in a first magnetization direction. The second anneal of the MTJ resets the free layer and the second AFM pinning layer in a second magnetization direction. An operating field range of the TMR based magnetic sensor is over 100 Oe.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a large field range TMR sensor of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a free layer having an intrinsic anisotropy. In one embodiment, a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) based magnetic sensor in a Wheatstone configuration includes at least one MTJ. The MTJ includes a free layer having an intrinsic anisotropy produced by deposition at a high oblique angle from normal. Magnetic domain formations within the free layer can be further controlled by a pinned layer canted at an angle to the intrinsic anisotropy of the free layer, by a hard bias element, by shape anisotropy, or combinations thereof.

A free layer comprising a bilayer (e.g., a first and a second layer) with an amorphous insertion layer in between the bilayer. The free layer includes a ferromagnetic nanolayer between the bilayer and a barrier layer. The magnetostriction of the free layer is tunable by varying the thicknesses of each of the first and the second layers. The free layer can be part of a magnetoresistive device with a reference layer or with another free layer.

The present disclosure generally relates to a bismuth antimony (BiSb) based STO (spin torque oscillator) sensor. The STO sensor comprises a SOT device and a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure. By utilizing a BiSb layer within the SOT device, a larger spin Hall angle (SHA) can be achieved, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the STO sensor.

A magnetic sensor whose output characteristic is less sensitive to the environmental temperature is provided. Magnetic sensor 1 has free layer 24 whose magnetization direction changes in response to an external magnetic field, pinned layer 22 whose magnetization direction is fixed with respect to the external magnetic field, spacer layer 23 that is located between pinned layer 22 and free layer 24 and that exhibits a magnetoresistance effect, and at least one magnet film 25 that applies a bias magnetic field to free layer 24. The film thickness of the magnet film is 15 nm or more and 50 nm or less. The relationship of 0.7T.sub.C_HM/T.sub.C_FL1.05 is satisfied, where T.sub.C_HM is Curie temperature of the magnet film, and T.sub.C_FL is Curie temperature of the free layer.

A device and to a method of producing a device, wherein the method includes, inter alia, providing a substrate and generating at least two mutually spaced-apart cavities within the substrate. In accordance with the invention, each cavity has a depth of at least 50 m. The cavities are filled up with magnetic particles, wherein the magnetic particles enter into contact with one another at points of contact, and wherein cavities are formed between the points of contact. At least some of the magnetic particles are connected to one another at their points of contact, specifically by coating the magnetic particles, wherein the cavities are at least partly penetrated by the layer produced in the coating process, so that the connected magnetic particles form a magnetic porous structure.