Magnetic element having a smaller critical dimension of the free layer
View Patent ↗A magnetic element includes a pinned layer, a nonferromagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. The nonferromagnetic spacer layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer has a track width of not more than 0.08 micron.
1. A magnetic element comprising:
a pinned layer;
a nonferromagnetic spacer layer;
a free layer, the nonferromagnetic spacer layer positioned between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer configured to have a track width of not more than 0.08 micron;
a stop layer on the free layer; and
a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) layer on the stop layer.
2. The magnetic element of claim 1 , wherein the nonferromagnetic spacer layer is a tunneling barrier layer.
3. The magnetic element of claim 1 , wherein the nonferromagnetic spacer layer is a conductive layer.
4. The magnetic element of claim 1 , further comprising a single layer mask on the DARC layer.
5. The magnetic element of claim 4 , wherein the single layer mask comprises a first width for defining the magnetic element on a first portion of the DARC layer.
6. The magnetic element of claim 5 , wherein the DARC layer comprises a second width not larger than the first width.
7. The magnetic element of claim 1 :
wherein the DARC layer comprises a second width for defining the magnetic element, and
wherein the stop layer comprises a third width greater than, or equal to, the second width.
8. A transducer comprising:
a magnetic element having a pinned layer, a free layer, and a nonferromagnetic spacer layer residing between the free layer and the pinned layer, the free layer having a track width of not more than 0.08 micron;
a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) layer on a portion of the magnetic element;
an insulating layer on a portion of the DARC layer;
a ferromagnetic bias layer on at least a portion of the insulating layer; and
a filler layer on at least a portion of the ferromagnetic bias layer.
9. The transducer of claim 8 , wherein the filler layer is a Cr filler layer.
10. The transducer of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic element further comprises an antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the pinned layer is on the antiferromagnetic layer.
11. The transducer of claim 8 , wherein the filler layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride.