Applied Magnetics, LLC

Chyu Jiuh Torng

Chiharu Mitsumata

A magnetoresistive (MR) transducer is disclosed in which an exchange coupled anisotropy field is provided by an antiferromagnetic NiMn alloy in contact with the MR alloy. Improved exchange coupling is achieved using an MR layer and adjacent NiMn exchange coupling layer which have substantially fcc structure and a preferred {111} crystalline orientation. The exchange bias field is observed to correlate strongly with the structural order of the films. A preferred method of fabricating the MR transducer enhances the structural order of the layers during growth, thereby reducing a post-deposition anneal typically required in such processes. The preferred fabrication process further provides greater predictability and control over the resulting exchange coupling.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Chyu Jiuh Torng