Magnetic head having layered film with tilted crystalline grain structure

• US 20060098356A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoshino, Katsumi, Hoshiya, Hiroyuki, Meguro, Kenichi, Okada, Yasuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/324.11
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3929 Disposition of magnetic thin films not used for directly coupling magnetic flux from the track to the MR film or for shielding

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention implement a construction capable of reconciling high read output with high stability by improving the structures of magnetic films. In one embodiment, an inclined crystal grain structure is applied to a soft magnetic free layer, ferromagnetic pinned layer and so forth, thereby enhancing electron scatter performance of thin magnetic films.

Claims

1. A magnetic head comprising:

a multilayered film, formed over a substrate, including a first ferromagnetic layer/a nonmagnetic intermediate layer/a second ferromagnetic layer; and

a pair of electrodes provided in the direction of thickness of the multilayered film, wherein crystal grains in at least one of the layers of the multilayered film are inclined in a predetermined direction in relation to the direction of the normal to the substrate.

2. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the multilayered film has a spin valve multilayered construction of a ferromagnetic pinned layer/a nonmagnetic intermediate layer/a soft magnetic free layer, and a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic pinned layer is in effect fixed against a magnetic field to be detected by an antiferromagnetic film or a hard magnetic film.

3. A magnetic head according to claim 2, wherein crystal grains in the ferromagnetic pinned layer are inclined in the predetermined direction in relation to the direction of the normal to the substrate.

4. A magnetic head according to claim 2, wherein crystal grains in the ferromagnetic pinned layer are inclined in a first direction in relation to the direction of the normal to the substrate, and crystal grains in the soft magnetic free layer are inclined in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, in the in-plane direction of the substrate.

5. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein crystal grains in the nonmagnetic intermediate layer are substantially parallel with the direction of the normal to the substrate.

6. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the inclination is in a range of 20°

to 80°

.

7. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein the crystal grains with inclined have a crystal structure or texture structure, anisotropic in the in-plane direction of the substrate.

8. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein a gain size has anisotropy between the direction of inclination, projected in the in-plane direction of the substrate, by the crystal grains with inclined, and a direction orthogonal thereto, in the in-plane direction.

9. A magnetic head according to claim 1, wherein shapes of the crystal grains has anisotropy between the direction of inclination, projected in the in-plane direction of the substrate, by the crystal grains with inclined, and a direction orthogonal thereto, in the in-plane direction.

10. A magnetic head comprising:

a multilayered film, formed over a substrate, including a first ferromagnetic layer/a nonmagnetic intermediate layer/a second ferromagnetic layer; and

a pair of electrodes provided in the in-plane direction of the multilayered film, wherein crystal grains in at least one of the layers of the multilayered film are inclined in a predetermined direction in relation to a direction of the normal to the substrate.

11. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein the multilayered film has a spin valve multilayered construction of a ferromagnetic pinned layer/a nonmagnetic intermediate layer/a soft magnetic free layer, and a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic pinned layer is in effect fixed against a magnetic field to be detected by an antiferromagnetic film or a hard magnetic film.

12. A magnetic head according to claim 11, wherein crystal grains in the ferromagnetic pinned layer are inclined in the predetermined direction in relation to the direction of the normal to the substrate.

13. A magnetic head according to claim 11, wherein crystal grains in the ferromagnetic pinned layer are inclined in a first direction in relation to the direction of the normal to the substrate, and crystal grains in the soft magnetic free layer are inclined in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, in the in-plane direction of the substrate.

14. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein crystal grains in the nonmagnetic intermediate layer are substantially parallel with the direction of the normal to the substrate.

15. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein an angle of the inclination is in a range of 20°

to 80°

.

16. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein the crystal grains with inclined have a crystal structure or texture structure, anisotropic in the in-plane direction of the substrate.

17. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein a gain size has anisotropy between the direction of inclination, projected in the in-plane direction of the substrate, by the crystal grains with inclined, and a direction orthogonal thereto, in the in-plane direction.

18. A magnetic head according to claim 10, wherein shapes of the crystal grains has anisotropy between the direction of inclination, projected in the in-plane direction of the substrate, by the crystal grains with inclined, and a direction orthogonal thereto, in the in-plane direction.