Patent · US Expired

Method of producing magneto-resistive tunnel junction head

US6451215B1 · kind B1 · utility

12Cited by
20References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 4, 2000
Grant dateSep 17, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 4, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10N50/01
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing a magneto-resistive tunnel junction head comprising a tunnel multilayered film having a tunnel barrier layer, a ferromagnetic free layer and a ferromagnetic pinned layer such that the tunnel barrier layer is held between the ferromagnetic free layer and the ferromagnetic pinned layer. The method comprises a laminating step of forming the tunnel barrier layer and a non-magnetic metal protect layer in turn on the ferromagnetic pinned layer, an insulating layer forming step of forming side insulating layers on both sides of a lamination body having the ferromagnetic pinned layer, the tunnel barrier layer and the non-magnetic metal protect layer, a cleaning step of cleaning the surface of the non-magnetic metal protect layer, and a ferromagnetic free layer forming step of forming the ferromagnetic free layer such that the ferromagnetic free layer faces the ferromagnetic pinned layer via the cleaned surface. Therefore, according to the method, the magneto-resistive tunnel junction head is expected to have more improved head characteristics.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.