Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080218913 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT WHICH INCLUDES Mg-O BARRIER LAYER AND IN WHICH NONMAGNETIC METAL SUBLAYER IS DISPOSED IN ONE OF MAGNETIC LAYERS - In a tunneling magnetoresistive element, an insulating barrier layer is made of Mg—O, and a first pinned magnetic layer has a laminated structure in which a nonmagnetic metal sublayer made of Ta is interposed between a lower ferromagnetic sublayer and an upper ferromagnetic sublayer. The nonmagnetic metal sublayer has an average thickness of about 1 Å or more and about 5 Å or less. | 09-11-2008 |
20080225443 | TUNNELING MAGNETIC SENSING ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME - A free magnetic layer has a laminated structure in which a first magnetic sublayer composed of Co—Fe or Fe and a second magnetic sublayer composed of Co—Fe—B or Fe—B are formed, in that order, on an insulating barrier layer composed of Mg—O. This effectively improves the rate of change in resistance (ΔR/R) compared with the related art. | 09-18-2008 |
20080253038 | Tunneling magnetic sensor including free magnetic layer and magnesium protective layer disposed thereon and method for manufacturing tunneling magnetoresistive sensor - A tunneling magnetic sensor includes a pinned magnetic layer of which the magnetization is pinned in one direction, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer of which the magnetization is varied by an external magnetic field, these layers being arranged in that order from the bottom. A first protective layer made of magnesium (Mg) is disposed on the free magnetic layer. The tunneling magnetic sensor has a larger change in reluctance as compared to conventional magnetic sensors including no first protective layers or including first protective layers made of Al, Ti, Cu, or an Ir—Mn alloy. The free magnetic layer has lower magnetostriction as compared to free magnetic layers included in the conventional magnetic sensors. | 10-16-2008 |
20080261082 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT INCLUDING MULTILAYER FREE MAGNETIC LAYER HAVING INSERTED NONMAGNETIC METAL SUBLAYER - A tunnel magnetoresistive element includes a laminate including a pinned magnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. The insulating barrier layer is composed of Ti—Mg—O or Ti—O. The free magnetic layer includes an enhancement sublayer, a first soft magnetic sublayer, a nonmagnetic metal sublayer, and a second soft magnetic sublayer. For example, the enhancement sublayer is composed of Co—Fe, the first soft magnetic sublayer and the second soft magnetic sublayer are composed of Ni—Fe, and the nonmagnetic metal sublayer is composed of Ta. The total thickness of the average thickness of the enhancement sublayer and the average thickness of the first soft magnetic sublayer is in the range of 25 to 80 angstroms. Accordingly, the tunneling magnetoresistive element can consistently have a higher rate of resistance change than before. | 10-23-2008 |
20080286612 | Tunneling magnetic sensing element including Pt sublayer disposed between free magnetic sublayer and enhancing sublayer and method for producing tunneling magnetic sensing element - There is provided a tunneling magnetic sensing element having an insulating barrier layer composed of Ti—O, a high rate of resistance change (ΔR/R) compared with the known art, and an interlayer coupling magnetic field Hin lower than that in the known art while low RA is maintained and the coercivity of a free magnetic layer is maintained at a low level comparable to the known art; and a method for producing the tunneling magnetic sensing element. An insulating barrier layer is composed of Ti—O. A free magnetic layer is formed on the insulating barrier layer and has a laminated structure of an enhancing sublayer composed of a CoFe alloy, a Pt sublayer, and a soft magnetic sublayer composed of a NiFe alloy, stacked in that order from the bottom. | 11-20-2008 |
20090316308 | SELF-PINNED CPP GIANT MAGNETORESISTIVE HEAD WITH ANTIFERROMAGNETIC FILM ABSENT FROM CURRENT PATH - A CPP giant magnetoresistive head includes lower and upper shield layers, and a giant magnetoresistive element disposed between the upper and lower shield layers and including a pinned magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer disposed between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer. In the CPP giant magnetoresistive head, the pinned magnetic layer extends to the rear of the nonmagnetic layer and the free magnetic layer in the height direction, and the dimension of the pinned magnetic layer in the height direction is larger than that in the track width direction. Also, the pinned magnetic layer comprises a magnetic material having a positive magnetostriction constant or a magnetic material having high coercive force, and the end of the pinned magnetic layer is exposed at a surface facing a recording medium. | 12-24-2009 |
20100055452 | TUNNELING MAGNETIC SENSING ELEMENT INCLUDING MGO FILM AS INSULATING BARRIER LAYER - A tunneling magnetic sensing element includes a laminate in which an underlayer, a seed layer, an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer are laminated in order from below. The insulating barrier layer is made of Mg—O. The underlayer is made of Ti, and the seed layer is made of one selected from a group consisting of Ni—Fe—Cr and Ru. | 03-04-2010 |
20110129690 | TUNNELING MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT INCLUDING MULTILAYER FREE MAGNETIC LAYER HAVING INSERTED NONMAGNETIC METAL SUBLAYER - A tunnel magnetoresistive element includes a laminate including a pinned magnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. The insulating barrier layer is composed of Ti—Mg—O or Ti—O. The free magnetic layer includes an enhancement sublayer, a first soft magnetic sublayer, a nonmagnetic metal sublayer, and a second soft magnetic sublayer. For example, the enhancement sublayer is composed of Co—Fe, the first soft magnetic sublayer and the second soft magnetic sublayer are composed of Ni—Fe, and the nonmagnetic metal sublayer is composed of Ta. The total thickness of the average thickness of the enhancement sublayer and the average thickness of the first soft magnetic sublayer is in the range of 25 to 80 angstroms. Accordingly, the tunneling magnetoresistive element can consistently have a higher rate of resistance change than before. | 06-02-2011 |