Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Tdk Corporation

Kabuhsiki Kaisha Toshiba

Hiromi Fuke

Hitoshi Iwasaki

Masashi Sahashi

Susumu Hashimoto

Hideaki Fukuzawa

Yuzo Kamiguchi

Kazuhiro Saito

Hiroshi Tomita

Hiromi Yuasa

Yuichi Ohsawa

Katsuhiko Koui

Tomomi Funayama

Reiko Kondoh

Shin-ichi Nakamura

Katsuhiko Koi

Masatoshi Yoshikawa

Atsuhito Sawabe

Masayuki Takagishi

Tetsuhiko Mizoguchi

Junichi Akiyama

Tetsuo Inoue

Yuuzo Kamiguchi

Toshiro Sato

Takashi Watanabe

Takashi Ishigami

Akiko Saito

Koichi Terunuma

Haruyuki Morita

Taro Oike

Takashi Yamanobe

Hiroaki Kawashima

Naomi Fujioka

Nobuo Katsui

Masaaki Doi

Kousaku Miyake

A magnetoresistance effect element having a magnetoresistance effect film and a pair of electrode, the magnetoresistance effect film having a first magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is substantially pinned in one direction, a second magnetization layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first and second magnetic layers, and a film provided in the first magnetic layer, in the second magnetic layer, at an interface between the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and/or at an interface between the second magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer.

Tunnel barrier sensor with multilayer structure

According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a first ferromagnetic layer a magnetization direction of which is pinned, a second ferromagnetic layer a magnetization direction of which is changed depending on an external magnetic field, an intermediate layer arranged between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and including an insulating layer and a magnetic conductive column, an alloy layer formed between the magnetic conductive column in the intermediate layer and the second ferromagnetic layer and including at least one of FeCoAl and FeCoAlCu, and a pair of electrodes configured to supply a current perpendicularly to a film plane of a stacked film including the first ferromagnetic layer, the intermediate layer, the alloy layer and the second ferromagnetic layer.

Magnetoresistive element

A magneto-resistance effect element includes: a first magnetization layer of which a magnetization is substantially fixed in one direction; a second magnetization layer of which a magnetization is rotated in accordance with an external magnetic field; an intermediate layer which contains insulating portions and magnetic metallic portions and which is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a pair of electrodes to flow current in a direction perpendicular to a film surface of a multilayered film made of the first magnetic layer, the intermediate layer and the second magnetic layer; wherein the magnetic metallic portions of the intermediate layer contain non-ferromagnetic metal.

Magneto-resistance effect element, magnetic head, magnetic recording/reproducing device and magnetic memory

A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element includes forming a metal layer on a first ferromagnetic layer, oxidizing the metal layer to form an oxide layer in which unoxidized metal is remained and a magnetic conduction column penetrating the oxide layer in a thickness direction and including at least a part of constituent elements of the first ferromagnetic layer, annealing a resultant structure at a higher temperature than a temperature at which the oxide layer is formed to convert at least a part of a periphery of the magnetic conduction column into a magnetic oxide including a part of constituent elements of the oxide layer and at least a part of constituent elements of the magnetic conduction column, and forming a second ferromagnetic layer.

Method of manufacturing magnetoresistive element, magnetoresistive element, magnetic head assembly and magnetic recording apparatus

There are provided a magnetoresistance effect element, a magnetic head, a magnetic head assembly and a magnetic recording system, which have high sensitivity and high reliability. The magnetoresistance effect element has two ferromagnetic layers, a non-magnetic layer provided between the ferromagnetic layers, and a layer containing an oxide or nitride as a principal component, wherein the layer containing the oxide or nitride as the principal component contains a magnetic transition metal element which does not bond to oxygen and nitrogen and which is at least one of Co, Fe and Ni.

Magnetoresistance effect element with a layer containing an oxide as a principal component and containing a magnetic transition metal element which does not bond to oxygen

A magneto-resistance effect element, including: a first magnetization layer of which a magnetization is substantially fixed in one direction; a second magnetization layer of which a magnetization is rotated in accordance with an external magnetic field; an intermediate layer which contains insulating portions and magnetic metallic portions and which is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a pair of electrodes to flow current in a direction perpendicular to a film surface of a multilayered film made of the first magnetic layer, the intermediate layer and the second magnetic layer; wherein the magnetic metallic portions of the intermediate layer contain non-ferromagnetic metal.

Magneto-resistance effect element, magnetic head, magnetic recording/reproducing device and method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element

A magnetoresistance effect element comprises a magnetoresistance effect film and a pair of electrode. The magnetoresistance effect film having a first magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is substantially pinned in one direction; a second magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field; a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first and second magnetic layers; and a film provided in the first magnetic layer, in the second magnetic layer, at a interface between the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and/or at a interface between the second magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, the film having a thickness not larger than 3 nanometers, and the film has as least one selected from the group consisting of nitride, oxinitride, phosphide, and fluoride. The pair of electrodes are electrically connected to the magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film.

Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head, magnetic reproducing apparatus, and magnetic memory

A magnetoresistance effect element, comprising a nonmagnetic spacer layer, first and second ferromagnetic layers separated by the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the first ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization direction at an angle relative to a magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer at zero applied magnetic field, the magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer freely rotating in a magnetic field signal, a magnetoresistance effect-improving layer comprising a plurality of metal films and disposed in contact with the first ferromagnetic layer so that the first ferromagnetic layer is disposed between the nonmagnetic spacer layer and the magnetoresistance effect-improving layer, one of the plurality of metal films disposed in contact with the first ferromagnetic layer contains metal element of not solid solution with metal element of the first ferromagnetic layer and a nonmagnetic underlayer or a nonmagnetic protecting layer disposed in contact with the magnetoresistance effect-improving layer so that the magnetoresistance effect-improving layer is disposed between the first ferromagnetic layer and the nonmagnetic underlayer or the nonmagnetic protecting layer.

Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head, magnetic head assembly, magnetic storage system

An example magnetoresistive effect element includes a magnetoresistive effect film including a magnetization pinned layer, a magnetization free layer, and an intermediate layer interposed therebetween and having a magnetic region and a nonmagnetic region whose electrical resistance is higher than the magnetic region. A sense current is passed to the magnetoresistive effect film in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film plane thereof. The magnetic region of the intermediate layer penetrates the nonmagnetic region locally and extends in the direction substantially perpendicular to the film plane. The nonmagnetic region contains a nonmagnetic metallic element having a larger surface energy than a magnetic metallic element contained in the magnetic region.

Magnetoresistive effect element and manufacturing method thereof, and magnetic head, magnetic reproducing apparatus, and magnetic memory using the same

A magnetoresistance effect element comprises a magnetoresistance effect film and a pair of electrode. The magnetoresistance effect film having a first magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is substantially pinned in one direction; a second magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field; a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first and second magnetic layers; and a film provided in the first magnetic layer, in the second magnetic layer, at a interface between the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and/or at a interface between the second magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, the film having a thickness not larger than 3 nanometers, and the film has as least one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, oxinitride, phosphide, and fluoride. The pair of electrodes are electrically connected to the magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film.

Magnetoresistance effect element

A magnetoresistance effect (MR) device incorporating a spin valve film, and a magnetic head, a magnetic head assembly and a magnetic recording/reproducing system incorporating the MR device, wherein the magnetization direction of a free layer is at a certain angle to the magnetization direction of a second ferromagnetic layer therein when the applied magnetic field is zero. A pinned magnetic layer includes a pair of ferromagnetic films antiferromagnetically coupled to each other via a coupling film existing therebetween. The magnetization direction of either one of the pair of ferromagnetic films constituting the pinned magnetic layer is maintained, and a nonmagnetic high-conductivity layer is disposed adjacent to a first ferromagnetic layer on the side opposite to the side on which the first ferromagnetic layer is contacted with a nonmagnetic spacer layer. With that constitution, the device has extremely high sensitivity, and the bias point in the device is well controlled.

Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head, and magnetic storage system using a giant magnetoresistance effect element

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Hiromi Fuke