Current-confined-path (CCP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors

Current-perpendicular-to the plane (CPP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors with a current-confined-path (CCP) layer inserted within the Cu spacer have been manufactured using ultrahigh vacuum PVD sputtering, photolithography, and ion milling processes. Compared with a pure metallic CPP system, the CCP insertion layer enables a substantial increase in sensor resistance with an equivalent or better GMR ratio, and thus a significant improvement in the ΔRA amplitude. Heads with such a sensor have been tested under various bias currents, both quasistatically and on a spinstand. It was found that the resistance of the sensors increases with increasing bias current and voltage, following typical metallic behavior. Also, the CCP insertion layer enables operation at higher bias currents compared with the pure metallic sensors (without the insertion layer) and thus a higher output signal. This effect is attributed to less magnetic instability due to the reduced Ampere fields around the narrow (∼6 nm) current-confined paths. Finally, the CPP-GMR heads with CCP layer were tested under high-density recording conditions using the perpendicular recording media. Bit error rate (BER) as a function of linear density is reported. Microtrack profiles were also recorded to determine track density capability.