Appeal No. 1998-1480
Application No. 08/741,277
The invention is directed to magnetoresistive transducers. More particularly, an insulator layer
is employed between two magnetic layers wherein the insulator layer is a composite of two layers, one
a layer of insulating oxide material and the other a layer of thermally conductive, high electrical resistivity
diamond-like carbon (DLC). The composite layer is said to take advantage of the superior properties
of both DLC and insulating oxide to overcome the disadvantages of each.
Representative independent claim 16 is reproduced as follows:
16. A magnetoresistive transducer having a magnetoresistive layer, a first magnetic
layer forming a soft adjacent layer operatively associated with the magnetoresistive
layer, a second magnetic layer forming a magnetic shield for the transducer, and an
electrical insulator sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers,
characterized in that the electrical insulator contains a layer of insulating oxide material
adjacent one of the first and second magnetic layers and a layer of thermally
conductive, high electrical resistivity diamond-like carbon adjacent the other of the first
and second magnetic layers.
The examiner relies on the following reference:
Schwarz 5,331,493 Jul 19, 1994
Claims 16, 18, 19, 21, 23 and 24 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable
over Schwarz.
Reference is made to the briefs and answer for the respective positions of appellants and the
examiner.
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