Method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

• US 20100092803A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Zhang, Kunliang, Yuasa, Hiromi, Li, Min, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Schreck, Erhard, Murakami, Shuichi, Hara, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/846
• 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: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5833 Ion beam bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/584 Non-reactive treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5846 Reactive treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5853 Oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/36 using ionised gases, e.g. ionitriding
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/093 using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors thin magnetic films H01F10/00
• 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 5/3906 Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3259 Spin-exchange-coupled multilayers comprising at least a nanooxide layer [NOL], e.g. with a NOL spacer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3272 by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/307 insulating or semiconductive spacer

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element is provided. The magneto-resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer. The method includes: forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer; performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals on the film; and performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of hydrogen molecules, hydrogen atoms, hydrogen ions, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, deuterium molecules, deuterium atoms, deuterium ions, deuterium plasma and deuterium radicals on the film submitted to the first treatment.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element having a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer, the method comprising:

forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer;

performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals on the film; and

performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of hydrogen molecules, hydrogen atoms, hydrogen ions, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, deuterium molecules, deuterium atoms, deuterium ions, deuterium plasma and deuterium radicals on the film submitted to the first treatment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second treatment includes a treatment of at least one of exposing the film with at least one of hydrogen gas and deuterium gas and introducing at least one of hydrogen gas and deuterium gas in an atmosphere achieved by ionizing or forming plasma of a gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, helium, neon and krypton.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second treatment includes a treatment of irradiating the film with at least one of hydrogen gas and deuterium gas ionized or formed into plasma, the film being submitted to the first treatment.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second treatment is performed while heating the film submitted to the first treatment.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing a third treatment including at least one of irradiating the film with rare gas ions, irradiating the film with rare gas plasma and heating the film, the film being submitted to the second treatment.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a combination of the performing the second treatment and the performing the third treatment is repeated plural times.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a combination of the forming the film, the performing the first treatment, the performing the second treatment and the performing the third treatment is repeated plural times.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

performing a fourth treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals to the film, the film being submitted to the third treatment.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a combination of the forming the film, the performing the first treatment and the performing the second treatment is repeated plural times.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a combination of the forming the film and the performing the first treatment is repeated plural times.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming the film includes forming a first metallic film and a second metallic film, and the performing the first treatment includes exposing the second metallic film to oxidizing gas.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming the film includes forming a first metallic film and a second metallic film, and the performing the first treatment includes providing oxygen gas to the second metallic film, the oxygen gas being introduced in an atmosphere achieved by ionizing or forming plasma of a gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, helium, neon and krypton.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the forming the film includes forming a first metallic film and a second metallic film, and

the performing first treatment includes:

performing a pretreatment of irradiating the second metallic film with a gas ionized or formed into plasma, the gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, helium, neon and krypton; and

providing the oxygen gas to the second metallic film submitted to the pretreatment, the oxygen gas being introduced in an atmosphere achieved by ionizing or forming plasma of a gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, helium, neon and krypton.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first metallic film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag and Al, and the second metallic film includes at least one selected from the group consisting Al, Si, Mg, Ti, Hf, Zr, Cr, Mo, Nb and W.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein a high frequency bias configured to generate the rare gas ions or the rare gas plasma in the third treatment has a power from 5 W to 120 W inclusive.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein an irradiation time of the rare gas ions or the rare gas plasma in the third treatment is from 5 seconds to 5 minutes inclusive.

4. A method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect device having a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer, the method comprising:

forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer;

performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals to the film; and

performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of ammonia molecules, ammonia ions, ammonia plasma and ammonia radicals to the film submitted to the first treatment.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second treatment includes a treatment of introducing ammonia gas in an atmosphere achieved by ionizing or forming plasma of a gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, helium, neon and krypton.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second treatment includes a treatment of irradiating the film to the first treatment with ammonia gas ionized or formed into plasma, the film being submitted to the first treatment.

20. A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

a magnetic head assembly including a suspension, a the magneto-resistance effect element being mounted on one end of the suspension, and an actuator arm connected to other end of the suspension; and

a magnetic recording medium, information being recorded in the magnetic recording medium by using the magneto-resistance effect element,

the magneto-resistance effect element having a first magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material, a second magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material and a spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the spacer layer having an insulating layer and a conductive portion penetrating through the insulating layer,

the magneto-resistance effect device being manufactured by a method including;

forming a film to be a base material of the spacer layer;

performing a first treatment using a gas including at least one of oxygen molecules, oxygen atoms, oxygen ions, oxygen plasma and oxygen radicals on the film; and

performing a second treatment using a gas including at least one of hydrogen molecules, hydrogen atoms, hydrogen ions, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, deuterium molecules, deuterium atoms, deuterium ions, deuterium plasma and deuterium radicals on the film submitted to the first treatment.