Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Thin-film magnetic head with antiferromagnetic layer and hard magnetic layers arranged to bias a magnetoresistive device
 A thin-film magnetic head of the present invention has a magnetoresistive device composed of a first magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer. An antiferromagnetic layer is in close contact with the first magnetic layer, and hard magnetic layers are formed on both sides of the second magnetic layer. The magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer is fixed in the y direction by exchange anisotropic coupling to the antiferromagnetic layer, and the second magnetic layer is put into a single domain state in the x direction by the application of magnetic anisotropy from a recording medium. Accordingly, the angle between the magnetization directions of the first and second magnetic layers changes continuously in response to the change in a leakage magnetic field in the y direction from the recording medium, the electric resistance of the magnetoresistive device changes continuously, and therefore, Barkhausen noise is minimized. 
Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
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G11B G11B G11B B82Y B82Y
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Masamichi
Saito