To provide a configuration for the magnetoresistive effect head of a combination type magnetic head, which can maintain required sensitivity, even when the track width is made small, while making its sensitivity compatible with stabilized operation.
A magnetoresistive effect film 4 is disposed, together with the hard magnetic layers 22a, 22b which are provided at both ends of the film 4 for stabilizing and main electrode 24a, 24b supplying a current for sensing. By making the width of the pinning layer 12 smaller than the width of a free layer 14 of the magnetoresistive effect film 4, overlay electrode layers 21a, 21b are disposed between the main electrode layers 24a, 24b and the end of the pinning layer 12, the low-sensitivity region is made an insensitive region near the contacting part of the hard magnetic layers 22a, 22b and the magnetoresistive effect film 4.
Kyosuke Tanaka
Takashi Sasaki
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