Method on manufacturing spin valve film
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a spin valve film comprising the steps of:
- forming an undercoat film on a substrate;
forming, on the undercoat film, a first ferromagnetic film serving as a free layer;
forming an electrically conductive film on the first ferromagnetic film;
forming, on the electrically conductive film, a second ferromagnetic film serving as a pinned layer; and
forming an antiferromagnetic film on the second ferromagnetic film,wherein the spin valve film includes the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film; and
wherein during a film making process for forming the spin valve film, and after a completion of a first forming process for forming a first film of two films which are selected from the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film and which are to be formed successively, but before an initiation of a second forming process for forming a second film of the two films, a step of decreasing an anisotropic magnetic field of the spin valve film is initiated by interrupting the film making process is introduced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a spin valve film, produces a large read out signal. After a completion of a film making process for forming a previous film of two films to be formed successively, but before an initiation of a film making process for forming a succeeding film of the two films, a step of decreasing an anisotropic magnetic field of the spin valve film is introduced by interrupting a film making process. This step may be performed by keeping a substrate within a sputtering vacuum chamber. The interruption can be shortened by exposing the substrate to a plasma, transferring the substrate in a separate vacuum chamber is lower or whose H2O or O2 concentration is higher than that in the sputtering vacuum chamber, conducting a surface treatment with a gas containing H2O or O2, or flowing a process gas.
11 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a spin valve film comprising the steps of:
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forming an undercoat film on a substrate; forming, on the undercoat film, a first ferromagnetic film serving as a free layer; forming an electrically conductive film on the first ferromagnetic film; forming, on the electrically conductive film, a second ferromagnetic film serving as a pinned layer; and forming an antiferromagnetic film on the second ferromagnetic film, wherein the spin valve film includes the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film; and wherein during a film making process for forming the spin valve film, and after a completion of a first forming process for forming a first film of two films which are selected from the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film and which are to be formed successively, but before an initiation of a second forming process for forming a second film of the two films, a step of decreasing an anisotropic magnetic field of the spin valve film is initiated by interrupting the film making process is introduced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head including a step of forming a magnetoresistive type reading element having a spin valve film before or after forming an inductive type writing element such that the writing element is supported by a substrate, and the step of forming the magnetoresistive type reading element having the spin valve layer comprising:
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forming an undercoat film on the substrate; forming, on the undercoat film, a first ferromagnetic film serving as a free layer; forming an electrically conductive film on the ferromagnetic film; forming, on the conductive film, a second ferromagnetic film serving as a pinned layer; and forming an antiferromagnetic film on the ferromagnetic film, wherein the spin valve film includes the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film; and wherein during a film making process for forming the spin valve film, and after a completion of a first forming process for forming a first film of two films which are selected from the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film and which are to be formed successively, but before an initiation of a second forming process for forming a second film of the two films, a step of decreasing an anisotropic magnetic field of the spin valve film is initiated by interrupting a the film making process is introduced.
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Specification