Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Fumihito Koike

Naoya Hasegawa

Masamichi Saito

Eiji Umetsu

Hiroaki Endo

Kiyoshi Sato

Toshinori Watanabe

Yosuke Ide

Akihiro Makino

Takashi Hatanai

Shinji Sugihara

Akira Takahashi

Ichiro Tokunaga

Yoshihiro Kanada

Nobuhiro Hayashi

Kiyoshi Kobayashi

Kenichi Tanaka

Eiji Shinohara

Hideto Ando

Kazuaki Ikarashi

Yoshihiro Sudo

Yoshikazu Shimizu

Kota Asatsuma

Masahiko Ishizone

Hirofumi Okumura

Ryo Nakabayashi

Taku Saito

Yasushi Watanabe

Takuya Seino

Yukiko Yasuda

Atsumi Nitta

Kiyoshi Satoh

Kazuhiro Shigeta

An exchange-coupled film includes a antiferromagnetic layer and a pinned magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic layer stacked together, the antiferromagnetic layer having a structure including an IrMn layer, a first PtMn layer, a PtCr layer, and a second PtMn layer stacked in that order, the IrMn layer being in contact with the pinned magnetic layer. The second PtMn layer preferably has a thickness of more than 0 &#x212b; and less than 60 &#x212b;, in some cases. The PtCr layer preferably has a thickness of 100 &#x212b; or more, in some cases. The antiferromagnetic layer preferably has a total thickness of 200 &#x212b; or less, in some cases.

Exchange-coupled film and magnetoresistive element and magnetic sensing device including the same

A position detection element includes an exchange coupling film having a large exchange coupling magnetic field and a position detection apparatus showing good detection accuracy in a high temperature environment. The position detection element includes an exchange coupling film composed of a fixed magnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked on the fixed magnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer includes an X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer containing X that is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and Ni and containing Mn and Cr. The X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer includes a PtMn layer as a first region relatively closer to the fixed magnetic layer and a PtCr layer as a second region relatively farther from the fixed magnetic layer. The content of Mn in the first region is higher than the content of Mn in the second region.

Position detection element and position detection apparatus using same

In an exchange coupling film that has a large magnetic field (Hex) in which the direction of magnetization of a fixed magnetic layer is reversed, high stability under high temperature conditions, and excellent strong-magnetic field resistance, an antiferromagnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer are stacked, the antiferromagnetic layer is composed of a PtCr layer and an XMn layer (where X is Pt or Ir), the XMn layer is in contact with the fixed magnetic layer, and the fixed magnetic layer is made of iron, cobalt, an iron-cobalt alloy, or an iron-nickel alloy.

Exchange coupling film, and magnetoresistive sensor and magnetic detector including the same

An exchange coupling film in which a magnetic field (Hex) at which the magnetization direction of a pinned magnetic layer is reversed is high, in which stability under high-temperature conditions is high, and which is excellent in strong-magnetic field resistance. The exchange coupling film includes an antiferromagnetic layer and a pinned magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic layer, the antiferromagnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer being stacked together. The antiferromagnetic layer has a structure including a PtCr layer, a PtMn layer, and an IrMn layer stacked in this order. The IrMn layer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer. The thickness of the PtMn layer is 12 &#x212b; or more, and the thickness of the IrMn layer is 6 &#x212b;. The sum of the thickness of the PtMn layer and the thickness of the IrMn layer is 20 &#x212b; or more.

Exchange coupling film, magnetoresistance effect element film using the exchange coupling film, and magnetic detector using the exchange coupling film

A tunnel magnetoresistance effect (TMR) device includes an exchange coupling film having a first ferromagnetic layer, which is at least a portion of a fixed magnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer laminated on the first ferromagnetic layer. The ferromagnetic layer includes an X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer containing one or two or more elements X selected from the group consisting of the platinum group elements and Ni, and also containing Mn and Cr. The X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer has a first region relatively near the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second region relatively far away from the first ferromagnetic layer, and the content of Mn in the first region is higher than that in the second region.

Tunnel magnetoresistance effect device and magnetic device using same

An exchange-coupling film having a large magnetic field (Hex) at which the magnetization direction of a pinned magnetic layer is reversed, thus exhibiting high stability under high-temperature conditions, and having excellent high-magnetic-field resistance includes an antiferromagnetic layer and a pinned magnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer has an alternating multilayer structure of three or more layers, the layers including alternately stacked XCr and XMn layers, where Xrepresents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of platinum group elements and Ni, and Xrepresents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of platinum group elements and Ni and may be the same as or different from X.

Exchange-coupling film and magnetoresistive element and magnetic detector using the same

An exchange-coupled film according to the present invention includes an antiferromagnetic layer, pinned magnetic layer, and free magnetic layer which are stacked. The antiferromagnetic layer is composed of a Pt&#x2014;Cr sublayer and an X&#x2014;Mn sublayer (where X is Pt or Ir). The X&#x2014;Mn sublayer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer. The Pt&#x2014;Cr sublayer has a composition represented by the formula PtCr(&#x3b1; is 44 at % to 58 at %) when the X&#x2014;Mn sublayer is placed on the Pt&#x2014;Cr sublayer or has a composition represented by the formula PtCr(&#x3b1; is 44 at % to 57 at %) when the X&#x2014;Mn sublayer is placed on the pinned magnetic layer.

Magnetoresistive element having exchange-coupled film including PtCr/XMn antiferromagnetic bilayer

A magnetic sensor is provided in which in a case where magnetization amounts of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer in the first magnetic sensor element are respectively set to be Mstand Mstand magnetization amounts of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer in the second magnetic sensor element are respectively set to be Mstand Mst, in a case of Mst&#x3e;Mst, a relationship of Mst&#x3e;Mstis satisfied, and in a case of Mst&#x3c;Mst, a relationship of Mst&#x3c;Mstis satisfied.

Magnetic sensor, method of manufacturing magnetic sensor, and method of designing magnetic sensor

A magnetic sensor includes magnetoresistive elements and a soft magnetic body. The magnetoresistive elements have multi layers including a magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer on a substrate, and exert a magnetoresistance effect. The soft magnetic body is electrically disconnected with the magnetoresistive elements, and converts a vertical magnetic field component from the outside into a magnetic field component in a horizontal direction so as to provide the magnetoresistive elements with the horizontally converted magnetic field component. The magnetoresistive elements have a pinned magnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction and a free magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction. The free magnetic layer is stacked on the pinned magnetic layer with a nonmagnetic layer interposed between the free magnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer. The magnetization directions of the pinned magnetic layers of the magnetoresistive elements are the same direction. The magnetoresistive elements form a bridge circuit.

Magnetic sensor

A magnetic sensor having no sensitivity differences between sensitivity axes, and an easy manufacturing method therefor are provided. The method includes a process of forming first stacked films for a magnetoresistive element on a substrate. This element has a sensitivity axis in a certain direction and includes a self-pinned ferromagnetic pinned layer in which first and second ferromagnetic films are antiferromagnetically coupled through an antiparallel coupling layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a soft magnetic free layer. The method further includes a process of removing a region of the first stacked films from the substrate. The remaining region of the films includes at least a region to be left to form the element. The method furthermore includes a process of forming second stacked films for a magnetoresistive element, which has a sensitivity axis in a direction different from the certain direction and has the same structure, on the exposed substrate.

Method for manufacturing a magnetic sensor

A magnetic detecting element includes a laminated structure where a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer are laminated through a non-magnetic material layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is a self-pinned type where a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer are laminated through a non-magnetic intermediate layer and the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are antiparallelly magnetization-fixed, and the second magnetic layer is in contact with the non-magnetic material layer. The first magnetic layer is formed using FeCo serving as a material having a higher coercive force than the second magnetic layer. The film thickness of the first magnetic layer falls within a range greater than or equal to 10 &#x212b; and less than or equal to 17 &#x212b;, and is thinner than the film thickness of the second magnetic layer. The non-magnetic intermediate layer is formed using Rh.

Magnetic detecting element and magnetic sensor utilizing same

A magnetic sensing element includes a free magnetic layer having a three-layer structure including a first enhancement layer in contact with a nonmagnetic material layer, a second enhancement layer, and a low-coercivity layer. The second enhancement layer has a lower magnetostriction coefficient &#x3bb; than the first enhancement layer. If such an enhancement layer having a bilayer structure is used, rather than a known monolayer structure, and the second enhancement layer has a lower magnetostriction coefficient &#x3bb; than the first enhancement layer, the rate of change in magnetoresistance of the magnetic sensing element can be increased with no increase in the magnetostriction coefficient &#x3bb; of the free magnetic layer.

Magnetic sensing element with improved magnetic sensitivity stability and method for producing the same

A magnetic sensing element and exchange coupling film is disclosed. The magnetic sensing element has a free magnetic layer, nonmagnetic material layers disposed on the top and bottom of the free magnetic layer, pinned magnetic layers disposed on the top of one nonmagnetic material layer and on the bottom of the other nonmagnetic material layer, and antiferromagnetic layers containing IrMn disposed on the top of one pinned magnetic layer and on the bottom of the other pinned magnetic layer. The magnetization of the free magnetic layer is aligned in a direction orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layers. The exchange coupling film is formed by the antiferromagnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer above the free magnetic layer. At least an interfacial portion of the ferromagnetic layer which is adjacent to the antiferromagnetic layer contains CoFewherein 30%&#x2266;x&#x2266;90% in atomic percent.

Exchange coupling film and magnetic sensing element including the same

A nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer forming a fixed magnetic layer is formed using CoFe, a nonmagnetic material-contact layer is formed using Co, and an NOL (Nano-Oxide Layer) is provided between the nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer and the nonmagnetic material-contact layer. In addition, the average film thickness of the nonmagnetic material-contact layer is set in the range of 16 to 19 &#x212b;. Accordingly, compared to a three-layered structure composed of CoFe, an NOL, and CoFe or a three-layered structure composed of Co, an NOL, and Co, which has been conventionally used, the rate (&#x394;R/R) of change in resistance and the unidirectional exchange bias magnetic field (Hex*) can both be improved.

Spin-valve element having fixed layer containing nano-oxide layer

A magnetoresistive element includes a meandering X-axis array that is constituted by X-axis segments alternately connected, and a meandering Y-axis array that is constituted by Y-axis segments alternately connected. When rotated 90&#xb0;, the Y-axis array has the same layout as the X-axis array. Such a structure cancels the electrical resistance change due to the AMR effect, thus reducing the waveform distortion of output voltage.

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Niigata-ken, Japan

Fumihito Koike