Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head and magnetic reproducing apparatus
First Claim
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1. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
- a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer; and
a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film,at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, andsaid thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure.
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Abstract
In a spin valve type element, an interface insertion layer (32, 34) of a material exhibiting large spin-dependent interface scattering is inserted in a location of a magnetically pinned layer (16) or a magnetically free layer (20) closer to a nonmagnetic intermediate layer (18). A nonmagnetic back layer (36) may be additionally inserted as an interface not in contact with the nonmagnetic intermediate layer to increase the output by making use of spin-dependent interface scattering along the interface between the pinned layer and the nonmagnetic back layer or between the free layer and the nonmagnetic back layer.
18 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
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a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer; and a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film, at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, and said thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A magnetic head comprising:
a magnetoresistance effect element comprising; a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer; and a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film, at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, and said thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A magnetic reproducing apparatus which reads information magnetically recorded in a magnetic recording medium, comprising:
a magnetoresistance effect element comprising; a magnetic head having a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer; and a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film, at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, and said thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
Specification