Soft bias shape anisotropy stabilization read head design and method of making same

1. A read head, comprising:

a lower shield having a first width in a stripe height direction;

an upper shield;

a lower lead disposed over the lower shield;

one or more upper leads disposed between the lower lead and the upper shield along a down-track direction;

a plurality of read sensors disposed between the lower lead and the one or more upper leads at a media facing surface, each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising:

an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer; and

a free layer; and

a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors, each of the plurality of soft bias side shields having a second width in the stripe height direction less than the first width, wherein the upper shield has a third width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the second width.

2. The read head of claim 1 , wherein each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors has a fourth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the second width.

3. The read head of claim 1 , wherein the free layer comprises a first layer and a second layer.

4. A magnetic storage device comprising the read head of claim 1 .

5. A read head, comprising:

a lower shield having a first width in a stripe height direction;

an upper shield;

a lower lead disposed over the lower shield;

one or more upper leads disposed between the lower lead and the upper shield along a down-track direction;

a plurality of read sensors disposed between the lower lead and the one or more upper leads at a media facing surface, each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising:

an antiferromaqnetic (AFM) layer;

a free layer;

a buffer layer disposed on the lower lead;

a barrier layer disposed over the free layer; and

a cap layer disposed between the barrier layer and the one or more upper leads; and

a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors, each of the plurality of soft bias side shields having a second width in the stripe height direction less than the first width.

6. A read head, comprising:

a lower shield having a first width in a stripe height direction;

an upper shield;

a lower lead disposed over the lower shield;

one or more upper leads disposed between the lower lead and the upper shield along a down-track direction;

a plurality of read sensors disposed between the lower lead and the one or more upper leads at a media facing surface, each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising:

an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer; and

a free layer; and

a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors, each of the plurality of soft bias side shields having a second width in the stripe height direction less than the first width, wherein each of the plurality of soft bias side shields are spaced a first distance from the lower shield and a second distance from the upper shield, the first distance being substantially equal to the second distance.

7. A read head, comprising:

a lower shield having a first width in a stripe height direction and a first length in a cross-track direction;

a lower lead disposed over the lower shield;

an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer disposed over the lower lead, the AFM layer having a second length in the cross-track direction substantially equal to the first length;

a plurality of read sensors disposed over the AFM layer at a media facing surface (MFS), each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising:

a portion of the AFM layer; and

a free layer comprising a first layer and a second layer;

a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors, each of the plurality of soft bias side shields having a second width in the stripe height direction less than the first width;

one or more upper leads disposed over the plurality of read sensors; and

an upper shield disposed over the one or more upper leads.

8. The read head of claim 7 , wherein the multilayer structure of each of the plurality of read sensors further comprises a buffer layer, and wherein the buffer layer is a part of a common buffer layer spanning the plurality of read sensors and the first layer is part of a common first layer spanning the plurality of read sensors.

9. The read head of claim 7 , wherein the first layer has a third length in the cross-track direction substantially equal to the first length, and wherein the second layer has a fourth length in the cross-track direction less than the third length.

10. The read head of claim 7 , wherein the first layer has a third width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the first width, and wherein the AFM layer has a fourth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the first width.

11. The read head of claim 7 , wherein the first layer has a fifth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the second width, and wherein the AFM layer has a sixth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the second width.

12. The read head of claim 7 , further comprising a first insulation layer disposed adjacent to the plurality of soft bias side shields in the stripe height direction, the first insulation layer being recessed from the MFS.

13. A magnetic storage device comprising the read head of claim 7 .

14. A read head, comprising:

a lower shield having a first width in a stripe height direction;

an upper shield;

a lower lead disposed over the lower shield;

one or more upper leads disposed between the lower lead and the upper shield along a down-track direction;

a plurality of read sensors disposed between the lower lead and the one or more upper leads at a media facing surface, each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors comprising a multilayer structure, the multilayer structure comprising:

a buffer layer;

an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer; and

a free layer comprising a first layer and a second layer; and

a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors, each of the plurality of soft bias side shields having a second width in the stripe height direction less than the first width, wherein each of the plurality of soft bias side shields are spaced a first distance from the lower shield and a second distance from the upper shield, the first distance being substantially equal to the second distance.

15. The read head of claim 14 , wherein the AFM layer has a third width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the second width, and wherein the upper shield has a fourth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the first width.

16. The read head of claim 14 , wherein the AFM layer has a fifth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the first width, and wherein the upper shield has a sixth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the first width.

17. The read head of claim 14 , wherein the first layer has a seventh width in the stripe height direction and the second layer has an eighth width in the stripe height direction less than the seventh width.

18. The read head of claim 14 , wherein the first layer has a ninth width in the stripe height direction and the second layer has a tenth width in the stripe height direction substantially equal to the ninth width.

19. A magnetic storage device comprising the read head of claim 14 .