A giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor with side longitudinal bias (LB)
stacks is proposed for magnetic recording at ultrahigh densities. The GMR
sensor extends from a read region into two side regions. The side LB
stacks overlies the GMR sensor in the two side regions, rigidly pinning
sense layers through antiparallel coupling across an antiparallel
coupling spacer layer. Magnetostatic interactions occur in the sense
layers between the read and side regions, thereby stabilizing the sense
layers in the read region.