Data reader with front shield coupling structure

1. An apparatus comprising a magnetoresistive stack contacting a shield on an air bearing surface (ABS) and contacting a pinning structure, a front shield separating the pinning structure from the ABS, the front shield separated from the pinning structure by a buffer layer canted at a non-normal angle with respect to the ABS.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a dielectric material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer contacts a pinned layer of the pinning structure, an antiferromagnetic layer of the pinning structure, a seed layer of the pinning structure, a front shield layer, and stabilizing magnetic layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front shield is separated from a shield biasing structure by the buffer layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front shield continuously extends from the ABS to the buffer layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front shield has a varying stripe height measured from the ABS as defined by the buffer layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front shield has a magnetization oriented orthogonal to a magnetization of the pinning structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a non-ferromagnetic transition metal material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pinning structure, buffer layer, and front shield are laterally aligned with each having a common extent as measured parallel to the ABS.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front shield has a magnetization oriented orthogonal to a magnetization of a reference structure of the magnetoresistive stack.

11. An apparatus comprising a magnetoresistive stack contacting a shield on an air bearing surface (ABS) and contacting a pinning structure, a front shield separating the pinning structure from the ABS, the front shield separated from the pinning structure by a buffer layer continuously extending perpendicular to the ABS to a contact a front surface of the front shield, the buffer layer and front surface each canted at a non-normal angle with respect to the ABS.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the buffer layer surrounds two different sides of the front shield.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the buffer layer contacts a magnetic layer that continuously extends from the ABS to contact the front shield and pinning structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the front shield is separated from a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) by the buffer layer on the ABS.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a magnetic layer is disposed between and contacts the front shield and the buffer layer on the ABS.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the buffer layer extends perpendicularly from the ABS to the non-normal angle.

17. A data reader comprising a magnetoresistive stack contacting a shield on an air bearing surface (ABS) and contacting a pinning structure, a front shield separating the pinning structure from the ABS, the front shield separated from the pinning structure by a buffer layer canted at a non-normal angle with respect to the ABS, the buffer layer separated from the ABS and contacting a reference structure of the magnetoresistive stack.

18. The data reader of claim 17 , wherein the buffer layer has a uniform thickness as measured perpendicular to the ABS.

19. The data reader of claim 17 , wherein, the buffer layer is oriented at an angle of greater than 0 and less than 90° with respect to the ABS.

20. The data reader of claim 19 , wherein the buffer layer maintains the angle from biasing structure of a shield to the reference structure.