Fujitsu Corporation

Hitoshi Kanai

Junichi Kane

Kenichi Aoshima

Kenji Noma

Yoshifumi Mizoshita

Takao Koshikawa

Michiaki Kanamine

Kenichiro Yamada

Naoki Mukoyama

Atsushi Tanaka

Kazuo Kobayashi

Junichi Ito

Yutaka Shimizu

Yuji Uehara

Reiko Kondo

Shin Eguchi

Keiichi Nagasaka

Hitoshi Kishi

Yoshihiko Seyama

Yukinori Ikegawa

Junya Ikeda

Yoshinori Otsuka

Takahiro Imamura

Manabu Watanabe

Masashige Sato

Takeaki Shimanouchi

Hideyuki Kikuchi

Shinji Koganezawa

Isamu Tomita

Tadashi Nakamura

Ryosuke Koishi

Kazuaki Satoh

Hiroaki Ueno

Yoshinori Ohtsuka

Norikazu Ozaki

Hidehiko Suzuki

Jongill Hong

Mitsumasa Okada

Junzo Toda

Yukihiro Uematsu

Eiichi Kanda

Toshinori Hoshino

Ken'ichiro Yamada

Eiji Shimizu

Hong Jongill

Ken-ichi Aoshima

Yiqun Zhang

A magnetoresistive effect element is a compound lamination including a first anti-ferromagnetic layer, a first fixed magnetic layer, a tunnel insulation layer, a free magnetic layer, a non-magnetic metal layer, a second fixed magnetic layer, and a second anti-ferromagnetic layer such that a TMR element and a SVMR element are formed, sharing the free magnetic layer.

Magnetoresistive effect element, a magnetic head, and a magnetic reproducing apparatus therewith

The magnetoresistance is measured for a magnetoresistive layered-structure, such as a spin valve film, prior to formation of an upper shield layer as well as patterning of a lower shield layer. The magnetic influence of the upper and lower shield layers can completely be eliminated during the measurement of the magnetoresistance. The magnetoresistive layered-structure is allowed to reliably receive the magnetic field over a wider range including a lower magnetic field range. It is accordingly possible to measure the magnetoresistance properly reflecting the magnetic characteristic of the magnetoresistive layered-structure. It is possible to find deficiency of a magnetoresistive read element at an earlier stage of the method.

Method of accurate evaluation on magnetoresistive read element

A magnetoresistive sensor including the following layers, in order: a first conductor layer; a first antiferromagnetic layer; a first pinned ferromagnetic layer; a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer; a free ferromagnetic layer; a second nonmagnetic intermediate layer; a second pinned ferromagnetic layer; a second antiferromagnetic layer; and a second conductor layer. Alternatively, the magnetoresistive sensor may include the following layers, in order: a first conductor layer; a first free ferromagnetic layer; a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer; a first pinned ferromagnetic layer; an antiferromagnetic layer; a second pinned ferromagnetic layer; a second nonmagnetic intermediate layer; a second free ferromagnetic layer; and a second conductor layer.

Magnetoresistive sensor

A pair of slits are defined in a slider body of a head slider so as to extend from a trailing end surface to the leading end on the slider body. A movable block is established in the slider body between the slits. The slits ensure the extent of movement for the movable block. Elongated plates enable a relative displacement between the movable block and a stationary block. A head element is mounted on a trailing end surface of the movable block. The thickness of a non-magnetic layer corresponds to the gap length of the head element. The gap length of the head element can easily be controlled based on deposition of the non-magnetic layer. The thickness of the non-magnetic layer can be reduced in a relatively facilitated manner, so that the gap length of the head element can easily be minimized.

Head slider having microactuator

A magnetoresistive spin-valve sensor is constructed to include a magnetic layer, a specular layer made of a metal oxide, a back layer made of Au, Cu, AuCu, AgCu, AuAgCu or an alloy thereof and interposed between the magnetic layer and the specular layer, and a metal layer disposed adjacent to the specular layer, opposite to the back layer, and made of a metal which improves GMR performance of the magnetoresistive spin-valve sensor.

Magnetoresistive spin-valve sensor and magnetic storage apparatus

Disclosed herein is a spin valve magnetoresistive sensor including a first conductor layer, a free ferromagnetic layer provided on the first conductor layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided on the free ferromagnetic layer, a pinned ferromagnetic layer provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, an antiferromagnetic layer provided on the pinned ferromagnetic layer, and a second conductor layer provided on the antiferromagnetic layer. At least one of the free ferromagnetic layer and the pinned ferromagnetic layer has a thickness larger than that providing a maximum resistance change rate or resistance change amount in the case of passing a current in an in-plane direction of the at least one layer. That is, the thickness of at least one of the free ferromagnetic layer and the pinned ferromagnetic layer falls in the range of 3 nm to 12 nm.

Spin valve magnetoresistive sensor having CPP structure

The present invention provides a method for producing a magnetic head whose reproduction waveform has small distortions, and forming a hard magnetism layer for applying a bias magnetic field to a magnetoresistive element, which is a multilayer film including a fixed magnetic layer having magnetization fixed to a first direction and a free magnetic layer having an easy axis of magnetization that is directed to a second direction, is formed in an area including at least one of a front area in the first direction and a rear area in the first direction.

Magnetic head producing method

A magnetic head of a magnetoresistance type is provided. The magnetic head comprises a magnetoresistance film, an underlying layer formed on each of both sides of the magnetoresistance film, and a magnetic-domain regulating film formed on the underlying layer so as to regulate a magnetic domain of a free magnetic layer in the magnetoresistance film. The underlying layer has a laminated structure of a tungsten-(W)-group metal layer formed on a tantalum-(Ta)-group metal layer. The underlying layer is formed so thick as to arrange the magnetic-domain regulating film at a position corresponding to the free magnetic layer.

Magnetic head of a magnetoresistance type having an underlying layer having a laminated structure of a tungsten-group metal layer formed on a tantalum-group metal layer

5 There is disclosed a magnetoresistive head in which an interlayer coupling field H applied to a free magnetic layer is minimized. The magnetoresistive head is provided with a magnetoresistive film including: a first antiferromagnetic layer a pinned magnetic layer formed on the first antiferromagnetic layer and provided with magnetization whose direction is fixed; a first nonmagnetic layer formed on the pinned magnetic layer a free magnetic layer formed on the first nonmagnetic layer and provided with magnetization whose direction changes in accordance with an external magnetic field; a second nonmagnetic layer formed on the free magnetic layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer formed on the second nonmagnetic layer for applying a bias magnetic field generated by static interlayer coupling and directed in a direction opposite to magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer to the free magnetic layer

Magnetoresistive head in which an interlayer coupling field applied to a free magnetic layer is reduced

There is disclosed a magnetoresistive film in which increase of a coupling field accompanying thickness reduction of a middle layer is inhibited. The magnetoresistive film is a multilayered film including a pinned layer having magnetization whose direction is fixed, a nonmagnetic middle layer formed on the pinned layer, and a free layer formed on the middle layer and provided with magnetization whose direction changes in accordance with an external magnetic field, the magnetoresistive film indicates a magnitude of resistance in accordance with an angle formed by the magnetization direction of the pinned layer and the magnetization direction of the free layer, and a copper oxide layer of an oxide including a copper element is formed directly on the free layer, or on the free layer via an oxide layer of a material fabricated by oxidizing a material constituting the free layer.

Magnetoresistive film, magnetoresistive head, information regeneration apparatus and magnetoresistive film manufacture method

There is provided a magnetoresistive film high in resistance to destruction. The magnetoresistive film is a multilayered film including: an antiferromagnetic layer for generating a bias magnetic field; a pinned magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction is fixed by the bias magnetic field; a free magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction changes in accordance with an external magnetic field; and a nonmagnetic middle layer held between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, and is held by a pair of insulation layers (not shown). When a current is passed parallel to the magnetoresistive film, a current center as a position of the thickness direction for dividing the current into two so as to obtain respective equal current amounts is positioned on a side including the pinned magnetic layer during dividing of the magnetoresistive film into two in a center position of a layer thickness of the nonmagnetic middle layer in the thickness direction.

Magnetoresistive film, head, and information regeneration apparatus having improved current flow characteristics

An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetoresistive effect type of head that is high in the magnetoresistive rate while including the laminated ferrimagnetic film. The fixed magnetic layer of the magnetoresistive effect type of head has a first fixed magnetic layer, a second fixed magnetic layer laminated at a position farther from the free magnetic layer as compared with the first fixed magnetic layer, and an opposite-parallel-coupling intermediate layer interposed between the first fixed magnetic layer and the second fixed magnetic layer, in which magnetizations of the first and second fixed magnetic layers are coupled with one another in such a manner that the magnetizations are pointed in directions which are substantially parallel and mutually opposite. The second fixed magnetic layer is formed with a material that is different from a material of said first fixed magnetic layer, and has a resistivity higher than that of said first fixed magnetic layer.

Multi-layer magnetoresistive head and information-reproducing system

A spin-valve magnetoresistive head having end parts of a free magnetic layer insensitive to an external magnetic field so as to improve sensitivity is provided. The spin-valve magnetoresistive head includes, at least on the terminal part sides, a lamination formed of a first antiferromagnetic layer, a soft magnetic layer, an antiparallel coupling intermediate layer, and a first free magnetic layer.

Spin-valve magnetoresistive head, and composite-type magnetic head and magnetic recording medium drive using the same

The present invention provides a magneto-resistance effect type head for reproducing, with a high sensitivity, information recorded at a high recording density on a recording medium while inhibiting occurrence of the Barkhausen noise, including a magneto-resistance effect element comprised of a multi-layer film containing a free magnetic layer having its magnetization direction changing in correspondence with an external magnetic field, an insulating film, a non-magnetic underlying layer formed on the insulating film, and one pair of magnetic domain-wall control layers formed on the underlying layer in its in-face direction with a predetermined spacing therebetween, for inhibiting movement of magnetic domain wall of the free magnetic layer, in such a configuration that the free magnetic layer has its both ends directly stacked on the pair of the magnetic domain-wall control layers and also has its middle part directly stacked on the underlying layer.

Magneto-resistance effect type head and information reproducing apparatus

A spin-valve magnetoresistive sensor includes a free layer of a ferromagnetic material, a pinned layer provided on the free layer and a pinning layer of an anti-ferromagnetic material provided on the pinned layer, the anti-ferromagnetic material being an ordered alloy containing manganese. The pinned layer includes a first pinned layer of a ferromagnetic material, a second pinned layer of a ferromagnetic material provided on the first pinned layer and an intermediate layer interposed between the first and second pinned layers such that the first and second pinned layers establish a super-exchange interaction in an anti-parallel manner. The second pinned layer has a magnetic moment smaller than a magnetic moment of the first pinned layer.

Spin-valve magnetoresistive sensor and magnetic head having such a spin-valve magnetoresistive sensor

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Hitoshi Kanai