Magnetoresistive element and magnetic head
US7855859B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 27, 2007 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N50/10
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In an MR element, first and second ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other through a spacer layer, and have magnetizations that are in opposite directions when no external magnetic field is applied thereto and that change directions in response to an external magnetic field. The spacer layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are stacked in this order on the first ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer includes a plurality of ferromagnetic material layers stacked, and an insertion layer made of a nonmagnetic material and inserted between respective two of the ferromagnetic material layers that are adjacent to each other along the direction in which the layers are stacked. The ferromagnetic material layers and the spacer layer each include a component whose crystal structure is a face-centered cubic structure. The spacer layer and the insertion layer are each composed of an element having an atomic radius greater than that of at least one element constituting the ferromagnetic material layers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.