摘要:
The invention provides a magnetoresistive device of the CCP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a magnetoresistive unit sandwiched between soft magnetic shield layers with a current applied in the stacking direction. The magnetoresistive unit comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between ferromagnetic layers. A planar framework positions the soft magnetic shield layers and comprises a combination of a nonmagnetic gap layer with a bias magnetic field-applying layer constructed by repeating the stacking of a multilayer unit comprising a nonmagnetic underlay layer and a high coercive material layer. The nonmagnetic gap layer is designed and located such that a magnetic flux given out of the bias magnetic field-applying layer is efficiently directed along a closed magnetic path around the framework to form a single domain of magnetization.
摘要:
A magnetic thin film has a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed with respect to an external magnetic field, a free layer whose magnetization direction is changed according to the external magnetic field, and a spacer layer which is sandwiched between said pinned layer and said free layer. Sense current is configured to flow in a direction that is perpendicular to film surfaces of said pinned layer, said spacer layer, and said free layer. Said spacer layer has a CuZn metal alloy which includes an oxide region, said oxide region consisting of an oxide of any of Al, Si, Cr, Ti, Hf, Zr, Zn, and Mg.
摘要:
An MR element includes a stack of layers including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first and the second ferromagnetic layer. The stack of layers has an outer surface, and the spacer layer has a periphery located in the outer surface of the stack of layers. The magnetoresistive element further includes an insulating film that touches the periphery of the spacer layer. The spacer layer includes a layer made of an oxide semiconductor composed of an oxide of a first metal. The insulating film includes a contact film that touches the periphery of the spacer layer and that is made of an oxide of a second metal having a Pauling electronegativity lower than that of the first metal by 0.1 or more.
摘要:
A magneto-resistive element has: a first stacked film assembly having a pinned layer, a spacer layer, and a free layer; a first electrode layer which is arranged such that the first layer is in contact with the first electrode layer on the other side of the first layer, the first electrode layer being made of a ferromagnetic material; and a second electrode layer which is arranged on a side that is opposite to the first electrode layer with regard to the first stacked film assembly. The first and second electrode layers are adapted to apply a sense current to the first stacked film assembly and the first layer in a direction that is perpendicular to layer surfaces. The first layer is made of gold, silver, copper, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, chromium or platinum, or an alloy thereof.
摘要:
A magneto resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a spacer layer interposed between the first and second magnetic layers. The magneto resistance effect element is configured to allow sense current to flow in a direction that is perpendicular to film planes of the first magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer and the spacer layer so that a relative angle between a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer varies depending on an external magnetic field. The present invention aims at providing a magneto resistance effect element which ensures high resistance to sense current, while limiting the influence of the current limiting layer on the magnetic layer, and which thereby achieves a high magneto resistance ratio.
摘要:
An MR device includes a magnetization pinned film having a nonmagnetic intermediate layer positioned on the opposite side of a magnetization free layer while sandwiching a nonmagnetic spacer layer and made of RuCu. In the case of passing read current in the stacking direction via lower and upper electrodes, decrease in a resistance change amount caused by a second magnetization pinned layer can be suppressed. Further, a first magnetization pinned layer and the second magnetization pined layer which are thicker can be antiferromagnetically coupled to each other in magnetic fields in a wider range. Thus, both increase in the resistance change amount and magnetic field stability can be achieved. Therefore, while maintaining stable operations by reducing the influence of external noise, the invention can address higher recording density by the increase in the resistance change amount as a whole.
摘要:
Provided are a magnetoresistive device capable of obtaining a larger amount of resistance change and responding to a higher recording density and a thin film magnetic head comprising the magnetoresistive device. A first magnetization fixed film and a second magnetization fixed film have magnetization directions antiparallel to each other, and the second magnetization fixed film farther from a magnetization free layer is made of, for example, a material including at least one selected from the group consisting of tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V), and has a bulk scattering coefficient of 0.25 or less. Thereby, a bulk scattering effect by the second magnetization fixed film which has a function of canceling out the amount of resistance change between the magnetization free layer and the first magnetization fixed film can be prevented, and a magnetoresistive ratio ΔR/R can be improved, and recorded magnetic information with a higher recording density can be read out.
摘要:
A magnetoresistive sensor comprises a pinned layer having a magnetization direction fixed with respect to an external magnetic field, a free layer, having a magnetization direction variable in accordance with the external magnetic field, and a spacer layer mainly containing copper, sandwiched between the pinned layer and the free layer. A sense current flows through the pinned layer, the spacer layer, and the free layer substantially in a direction in which the layers are stacked. The free layer comprises at least one intermediate stack composed of a non-magnetic layer mainly containing copper, and a first cobalt iron layers made of a cobalt iron alloy and disposed on boundaries on both sides of the non-magnetic layer, a nickel iron alloy layers disposed on boundaries on both sides of the intermediate stack, and a second cobalt iron layer made of a cobalt iron alloy and formed in contact with the spacer layer on a boundary, opposing the spacer layer, of a stack composed of the intermediate stack and the nickel iron alloy layer.
摘要:
An MR element includes an MR stack including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first and the second ferromagnetic layer. The MR stack has an outer surface, and the spacer layer has a periphery located in the outer surface of the MR stack. The magnetoresistive element further includes a layered film that touches the periphery of the spacer layer. The spacer layer includes a semiconductor layer formed using an oxide semiconductor as a material. The layered film includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer stacked in this order. The first layer is formed of the same material as the semiconductor layer, and touches the periphery of the spacer layer. The second layer is a metal layer that forms a Schottky barrier at the interface between the first layer and the second layer. The third layer is an insulating layer.
摘要:
An MR element includes a stack of layers including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first and the second ferromagnetic layer. The stack of layers has an outer surface, and the spacer layer has a periphery located in the outer surface of the stack of layers. The magnetoresistive element further includes an insulating film that touches the periphery of the spacer layer. The spacer layer includes a layer made of an oxide semiconductor composed of an oxide of a first metal. The insulating film includes a contact film that touches the periphery of the spacer layer and that is made of an oxide of a second metal having a Pauling electronegativity lower than that of the first metal by 0.1 or more.