Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Tdk Corporation

Alps Green Devices Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Alps Electronics Co., Ltd.

Alps Green Devices., Ltd.

Masamichi Saito

Naoya Hasegawa

Yosuke Ide

Yoshihiro Nishiyama

Kenichi Tanaka

Masahiko Ishizone

Kazumasa Nishimura

Eiji Umetsu

Ryo Nakabayashi

Toshinori Watanabe

Hidekazu Kobayashi

Akira Takahashi

Kenji Ichinohe

Toshihiro Kuriyama

Fumihito Koike

Masahiro Iizuka

Kiyoshi Sato

Akihiro Makino

Yoshihiko Kakihara

Naoki Sakatsume

Tsuyoshi Nojima

Yasuto Kodera

Hiroaki Endo

Yasuo Hayakawa

Bunryo Sato

Kazuhiro Aoyama

Yukie Nakazawa

Shigenobu Miyajima

Seishi Miura

Tadashi Mihara

Tatsuya Kogure

Akio Hanada

Masanobu Asaoka

Hideaki Takao

Makoto Kojima

Kenji Honda

Kazuaki Ikarashi

Sunao Mori

Takuya Seino

Mitsuo Aratono

Kenji Onuma

Takatsugu Wada

Daigo Aoki

Yutaka Yamamoto

Shinji Mitsuya

Naohiro Ishibashi

Kouki Nukanobu

Masahiro Oshima

Masahiro Ooshima

Nobusige Korenaga

Kota Asatsuma

Hideaki Kawasaki

Katsuyoshi Kohno

Kiyoshi Satoh

Norimasa Okanishi

Kazuya Oominato

Yosuki Ide

Digo Aoki

Naoya Hasegawn

Hidekezu Kobayashi

Yoshihiro Nishiyana

Hasahiko Ishizone

Hideharu Matsuo

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

A magnetic detector includes a full-bridge circuit including magnetoresistive sensors on the same substrate. The magnetoresistive sensors include two magnetoresistive films and have different relationships between the fixed magnetization direction and the bias application direction. The fixed magnetization direction and the bias application direction are determined with three or more exchange coupling films including antiferromagnetic layers with different blocking temperatures. Thus, the magnetic detector has high resistance to a strong magnetic field, is easy to produce, and has a high degree of flexibility in production.

Magnetic detector and method for producing the same

A magnetic-field-applying bias film exhibiting resistance to a high magnetic field has an exchange-coupled film including a permanent magnet layer and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked on the permanent magnet layer. The antiferromagnetic layer includes an X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer containing Cr, Mn, and one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of platinum-group elements and Ni. The X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer has a first region relatively near to the permanent magnet layer and a second region relatively distant from the permanent magnet layer. Mn content in the first region is higher than Mn content in the second region.

Magnetic-field-applying bias film and magnetic detecting element and magnetic detection device therewith

A magnetic-field-applying bias film having strong-magnetic-field resistance includes an exchange coupling film. The exchange coupling film includes a ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked on the ferromagnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer includes an X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer containing Mn, Cr, and one or more elements X selected from the group consisting of platinum-group elements and Ni. The X(Cr&#x2014;Mn) layer has a first region relatively close to the ferromagnetic layer and a second region relatively far from the ferromagnetic layer. The Mn content in the first region is higher than the Mn content in the second region.

Magnetic-field-applying bias film, and magnetic detection element and magnetic detector including 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 magnetometric sensor comprises a magnetoresistance effect element having a sensitivity axis in a specific direction; including a fixed magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, and a free magnetic layer stacked in this order on a substrate; and including a first antiferromagnetic layer on the free magnetic layer on the opposite side to the side facing the nonmagnetic material layer to cause an exchange coupling bias between the first antiferromagnetic layer and the free magnetic layer and align the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer in a prescribed direction in a state of permitting variation in magnetization. The free magnetic layer includes a first free magnetic sub-layer, a misfit-reducing sub-layer for decreasing the lattice mismatch of the free magnetic layer with the first antiferromagnetic layer, and a second free magnetic sub-layer ferromagnetically coupled to the first free magnetic sub-layer in this order from the first antiferromagnetic layer side.

Magnetometric sensor and current sensor

A magnetic sensor includes: a magnetoresistive effect element having a sensitivity axis in a specific direction in which a fixed magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, and a free magnetic layer are laminated in this order; an antiferromagnetic layer which generates an exchange coupling bias with the free magnetic layer and which aligns the magnetization direction thereof in a predetermined direction provided on the free magnetic layer; and a ferromagnetic layer which generates an exchange coupling bias with the antiferromagnetic layer and which aligns the magnetization direction thereof in a predetermined direction provided on the antiferromagnetic layer. The magnetization direction on the exchange coupling bias in the free magnetic layer is the same direction as that on the exchange coupling bias in the ferromagnetic layer, and the ferromagnetic layer is able to impart a reflux magnetic field having a component along a sensitivity axis to the free magnetic layer.

Magnetic sensor, method for manufacturing magnetic sensor, and current sensor

A current sensor includes a magnetic sensor module including a plurality of magnetic sensor units connected in series. The magnetic sensor units each include a first magnetic sensor element and a second magnetic sensor element which have sensitivity axes oriented in opposite directions. A first terminal of the first magnetic sensor unit is connected to a first potential source. A third terminal of the first magnetic sensor unit is connected to a second potential source. A second terminal and a fourth terminal of the last magnetic sensor unit are connected to constitute a sensor output terminal. The first terminal of each of the magnetic sensor units excluding the first magnetic sensor unit is connected to the second terminal of the next magnetic sensor unit and the third terminal thereof is connected to the fourth terminal of the next magnetic sensor unit.

Current sensor

A current sensor includes a magnetoresistive element that has a stripe shape and that has a sensing axis in a certain direction. The magnetoresistive element includes element portions that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the stripe shape, and permanent magnet portions, each of which is disposed between adjacent ones of the element portions. Each element portion has a layered structure including a free magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is changed with respect to an external magnetic field, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a ferromagnetic pinned layer whose magnetization direction is pinned. The permanent magnet portion includes a hard bias layer, and an electrode layer that is disposed so as to cover the hard bias layer.

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Niigata-ken, Japan

Masamichi Saito