Method and system for providing a read transducer having soft and hard magnetic bias structures
View Patent ↗A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The magnetic transducer includes a first shield, a read sensor, at least one soft magnetic bias structure and at least one hard bias structure. The read sensor includes a sensor layer that has at least one edge in the track width direction along the ABS. The soft magnetic bias structure(s) are adjacent to the edge(s) of the sensor layer. The soft magnetic bias structure has a first permeability. The soft bias structure(s) are between the read sensor and the hard bias structure(s). The hard bias structure(s) are adjacent to a portion of the soft bias structure(s) and have a second permeability. The first permeability is at least ten multiplied by the second permeability.
1. A magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and comprising:
a first shield;
a read sensor including a sensor layer, the sensor layer having at least one edge in the track width direction along the ABS;
at least one soft magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure having a first permeability;
at least one hard bias structure adjacent to a portion of the at least one soft bias structure and having a second permeability, the at least one soft bias structure being between the read sensor and the at least one hard bias structure, the first permeability is at least ten multiplied by the second permeability;
a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure being physically connected with the second shield.
2. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 further comprising:
an insulating layer residing between the at least one soft magnetic bias structure and the read sensor.
3. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the at least one soft magnetic bias structure acts as at least one magnetic side shield and is magnetically coupled with the second shield.
4. The magnetic read transducer of claim 1 wherein the at least one hard bias structure shares at least one interface with the at least one soft magnetic bias structure.
5. 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, a second shield, at least one soft magnetic bias structure, and at least one hard bias structure, the read sensor including a sensor layer, the sensor layer having at least one edge in the track width direction along the ABS, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure being adjacent to the at least one edge and having a first permeability, the at least one hard bias structure adjacent to a portion of the at least one soft bias structure and having a second permeability, the first permeability being at least ten multiplied by the second permeability, the at least one soft bias structure being between the read sensor and the at least one hard bias structure, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure being physically connected with the second shield.
6. A method for providing a magnetic read transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) comprising:
providing a first shield;
providing a read sensor including a sensor layer, the sensor layer having at least one edge in the track width direction along the ABS;
providing at least one soft magnetic bias structure adjacent to the at least one edge, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure having a first permeability;
providing at least one hard bias structure adjacent to a portion of the at least one soft bias structure and having a second permeability, the at least one soft bias structure being between the read sensor and the at least one hard bias structure, the first permeability being at least ten multiplied by the second permeability; and
providing a second shield, the read sensor residing between the first shield and the second shield, the at least one soft magnetic bias structure being physically connected with the second shield.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing an insulating layer residing between the at least one soft magnetic bias structure and the read sensor.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one soft magnetic bias structure acts as at least one magnetic side shield and is magnetically coupled with the second shield.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one hard bias structure shares at least one interface with the at least one soft magnetic bias structure.