Nec Corporation

Ishiwata Nobuyuki

Masafumi Nakada

Atsushi Kamijo

Hisanao Tsuge

Yuji Tsukamoto

Hisao Matsutera

A magneto-resistance effect (&ldquo;MR&rdquo;) type composite head includes a reproduction head with an MR element arranged between a first and a second magnetic shield; and a recording head arranged adjacent to the reproduction head so as to use the second magnetic shield as a first magnetic pole film and having a second magnetic pole film opposing to the first magnetic pole via a magnetic gap; the MR element includes a center region including a ferromagnetic tunnel junction magneto-resistance effect film having a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer for generating a magneto-resistance effect using the first and the second magnetic shields as electrodes so that a current flows in an almost vertical direction between the first and the second magnetic shields; a tunnel barrier layer provided between the first and the second ferromagnetic layer; and an end region arranged to sandwich the center region from both sides for /applying a bias magnetic field to the center region.

Magneto-resistance effect type composite head and production method thereof

The present invention provides a magneto-resistance effect (hereinafter, referred to as MR) type composite head. The head includes a reproduction head including an MR element arranged between a first and a second magnetic shield; and a recording head arranged next to the reproduction head so as to use the second magnetic shield as a first magnetic pole film and having a second magnetic pole film opposing to the first magnetic pole via a magnetic gap; the MR element including: a center region including a ferromagnetic tunnel junction magneto-resistance effect film (hereinafter, referred to as a TMR film) having: a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer for generating a magneto-resistance effect using the first and the second magnetic shields as electrodes so that a current flows in a an almost vertical direction between the first and the second magnetic shields; and a tunnel barrier layer provided between the first and the second ferromagnetic layer; and an end region arranged to sandwich the center region from both sides for applying a bias magnetic field to the center region.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Ishiwata Nobuyuki