MR sensor with blunt contiguous junction and slow-milling-rate read gap

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A transducer comprising: a magnetoresistive sensor containing plural layers disposed substantially parallel to a plane, said layers terminating at an end extending at a first angle from said plane, an amagnetic layer adjoining said magnetoresistive sensor along a first interface substantially aligned with said plane, said first interface terminating at said end and said amagnetic layer having a second interface extending from said end at a second angle to said plane, said second angle being substantially less than said first angle, wherein said amagnetic layer essentially contains at least one material from the group consisting of polycrystalline DLC, ta-C, cubic-BN, AlB.
sub.
12, ZrO.
sub.
2, Nb.
sub.
2 O.
sub.
5, Y.
sub.
2 O.
sub.
5, HfO.
sub.
2, MgO, and BaTiO.
sub.
3, and a metal layer adjoining said end along a junction and adjoining said amagnetic layer along said second interface, whereby said metal layer provides a bias to said sensor without penetrating said amagnetic layer.
2.
The transducer of claim 1, wherein said amagnetic layer has an ion milling rate that is substantially less than that said sensor.
3.
The transducer of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic shield adjoining said amagnetic layer and separated from said metal layer.
4.
The transducer of claim 1, wherein said junction has an extent in a direction perpendicular to said plane that is substantially greater than an extent of said junction in a direction parallel to said plane.
5.
The transducer of claim 1 wherein said amagnetic layer contains plural amagnetic lamina, and at least one of said lamina contains a slow-ion-milling-rate material.
6.
The transducer of claim 5, wherein said amagnetic layer essentially contains at least one material from the group consisting of TiC, TaC, SiC, B.
sub.
4 C, WC, TiB.
sub.
2, TaB.
sub.
2, .
beta.
-C.
sub.
3 N.
sub.
4, B.
sub.
4 N, BCN, ZrC ZrN, VC, NbB.
sub.
2, W.
sub.
2 B.
sub.
5, LaB.
sub.
6 and SiB.
sub.
6.
7.
The transducer of claim 1, wherein said amagnetic layer has a thickness in a range between about 60