Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Nec Corporation

Tdk Corporation

Nippon Steel Corporation

Shimadzu Corporation

Ube Industries, Inc.

Tosoh Corporation

Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Mining Co., Ltd.

Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Co., Ltd.

Seisan Kaihatsu Kagaku Kenkyusho

Mitsuo Satomi

Hiroshi Sakakima

Yasuhiro Kawawake

Yasunari Sugita

Koichi Kugimiya

Ken Hirota

Nozomu Matsukawa

Masayoshi Hiramoto

Yousuke N Irie

Osamu Inoue

Akihiro Odagawa

Yoshio Kawashima

Yasuhiro Sugaya

Koichi Osano

Nobuyuki Kaminaka

Eiichi Hirota

Harufumi Senno

Kenji Kondo

Hideaki Adachi

Masaru Higashionji

Yuji Omata

Kenji Iijima

Akio Kuroe

Eisuke Sawai

Yukihiro Yanagiuchi

Hiroshi Takeuchi

Masahiro Ueda

Kunio Tanaka

Toshio Takada

Kumio Nago

Hitoshi Yamanishi

Keita Ihara

Teruya Shinjo

Youichi Ohnishi

Shinji Nagamachi

Nozomu Matukawa

The present invention provides a magnetoresistive (MR) element that is excellent in MR ratio and thermal stability and includes at least one magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic material M-X expressed by MX. Here, M is at least one selected from Fe, Co and Ni, X is expressed by XXX(Xis at least one selected from Cu, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt and Au, Xis at least one selected from Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Zn and lanthanide series elements, and Xis at least one selected from Si, B, C, N, O, P and S), and a, b, c and d satisfy 0.05&#x2266;a&#x2266;60, 0&#x2266;b&#x2266;60, 0&#x2266;c&#x2266;30, 0&#x2266;d&#x2266;20, and a=b+c+d.

Magnetoresistive element and magnetoresistive magnetic head, magnetic recording apparatus and magnetoresistive memory device using the same

A magnetic memory device that includes a magnetoresistive element, a conductive wire for generating magnetic flux that changes a resistance value of the magnetoresistive element, and at least one ferromagnetic member through which the magnetic flux passes. The ferromagnetic member forms a magnetic gap at a position where the magnetic flux passes through the magnetoresistive element. A length of the magnetoresistive element that is measured in a direction parallel to the magnetic gap is less than or equal to twice the length of the magnetic gap. A length of a path traced by the magnetic flux in the ferromagnetic member is less than or equal to 1.0 &#x3bc;m. The length of the path is also greater than or equal to five times the thickness of the ferromagnetic member and/or is greater than or equal to a length of the ferromagnetic member in the direction of the drawing of the conductive wire divided by five.

Magnetic storage element, production method and driving method therefor, and memory array

A magnetic memory of the present invention includes two or more memory layers and two or more tunnel layers that are stacked in the thickness direction of the layers. The two or more memory layers are connected electrically in series. A group of first layers includes at least one layer selected from the two or more memory layers. A group of second layers includes at least one layer selected from the two or more memory layers. A resistance change caused by magnetization reversal in the group of first layers differs from a resistance change caused by magnetization reversal in the group of second layers.

Magnetic memory and method for driving the same, and magnetic memory device using the same

A magnetoresistive element includes a pair of ferromagnetic layers and a non-magnetic layer arranged between the ferromagnetic layers. At least one of the ferromagnetic layers has a composition expressed by (ML)Rat the interface with the non-magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, C, N, O, and P. Here, M is FeCoNi, L is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ir, and Rh, R is an element that has a lower free energy to form a compound with the element of the non-magnetic layer that is at least one selected from the group consisting of B, C, N, O, and P than does any other element included in the composition as M or L, and a, b, c, x, y, and z satisfy a+b+c=100, a&#x2267;30, x+y=100, 0&#x3c;y&#x2266;35, and 0.1&#x2266;z&#x2266;20. This element can provide a high MR ratio. A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive element includes a first heat treatment process at 200&#xb0; C. to 330&#xb0; C. for not less than one hour and a second heat treatment process at not less than 340&#xb0; C. performed after the first heat treatment process.

Magnetoresistive element and method for manufacturing the same and nonvolatile memory including the same

A spin switch that can be driven with voltage. This spin switch includes the following: a ferromagnetic material; a magnetic semiconductor magnetically coupled to the ferromagnetic material; an antiferromagnetic material magnetically coupled to the magnetic semiconductor; and an electrode connected to the magnetic semiconductor via an insulator. A change in the electric potential of the electrode causes the magnetic semiconductor to make a reversible transition between a ferromagnetic state and a paramagnetic state. When the magnetic semiconductor is changed to the ferromagnetic state, the ferromagnetic material is magnetized in a predetermined direction due to the magnetic coupling with the magnetic semiconductor.

Spin switch and magnetic storage element using it

A magnetoresistive element of the present invention includes a multilayer structure that includes a non-magnetic layer () and a pair of ferromagnetic layers () stacked on both sides of the non-magnetic layer (). A resistance value differs depending on a relative angle between the magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers () at the interfaces with the non-magnetic layer (). The composition of at least one of the ferromagnetic layers () in a range of 2 nm from the interface with the non-magnetic layer () is expressed by (MO)Z, where Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements other than Z and O and includes a ferromagnetic metal, and x, y, and z satisfy 0.33&#x3c;y/x&#x3c;1.33, 0&#x3c;x, 0&#x3c;y, and 0&#x2266;z&#x2266;0.4. This magnetoresistive element can have excellent heat resistance and magnetoresistance characteristics.

Magnetoresistive element

A magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic film for signal recording and a film containing M O as a main component that is magnetically exchange-coupled to the magnetic film to increase the effective V and Ku of the magnetic film and to suppress thermal fluctuation. Herein, M is at least one element selected from Fe, Co, Ni, alkaline earth elements, Y, lanthanoids and Bi and includes at least one selected from Fe, Co and Ni as an essential element, and y is a value satisfying 2.8<y<3.2.

Magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording apparatus using the same

The invention provides a magnetoresistive element in which the pinned magnetic layer includes at least one non-magnetic film and magnetic films sandwiching that non-magnetic film, and the magnetic films are coupled with one another by magnetostatic coupling via the non-magnetic film. This element has an improved thermal resistance. Furthermore, the invention provides a magnetoresistive element in which the pinned magnetic layer is as described above. The magnetic films can be coupled with one another by magnetostatic coupling or antiferromagnetic coupling generating negative magnetic coupling. In this element, the magnetic field shift is reduced. Furthermore, the invention provides a magnetoresistive element in which at least one of the magnetic layers sandwiching the intermediate layer includes an oxide ferrite having a plane orientation with a (100), (110) or (111) plane. A magnetic field is introduced in a direction of the axis of easy magnetization in the plane. This oxide can be formed by sputtering with an oxide target while applying a bias voltage to a substrate including a plane on which the oxide ferrite is to be formed so as to adjust the amount of oxygen supplied to the oxide ferrite from the target.

Magnetoresistive element, method for manufacturing the same, and method for forming a compound magnetic thin film

A magnetoresistance effect device of the present invention includes a multilayer film. The multilayer film includes an antiferromagnetic film, a first ferromagnetic film, a non-magnetic film and a second ferromagnetic film, which are provided in this order on a non-magnetic substrate directly or via an underlying layer. The antiferromagnetic film comprises an &agr;-Fe O film. A surface roughness of the multilayer film is about 0.5 nm or less.

Magnetoresistive device with an &agr;-Fe2O3 antiferromagnetic film and indirect exchange coupling film layers of differing thickness

A magnetoresistance effect element includes a free layer, in which a magnetization direction thereof is easily rotated in response to an external magnetic field, a first non-magnetic layer, and a first pinned layer provided on a side opposite to the free layer of the first non-magnetic layer, in which a magnetization direction of the first pinned layer is not easily rotated in response to the external magnetic field. At least one of the first pinned layer and the free layer includes a first metal magnetic film contacting the first non-magnetic layer, and a first oxide magnetic film.

Magnetoresistance effect element and method for producing the same, and magnetoresistance effect type head, magnetic recording apparatus, and magnetoresistance effect memory element

Exchange coupling film, magnetoresistance effect device, magnetoresistance effective head and method for producing exchange coupling film

The magnetoresistive device of the present invention includes: at least two magnetic layers stacked via a non-magnetic layer therebetween; and a metal reflective layer of conduction electrons formed so as to be in contact with at least one of outermost two layers of the magnetic layers. The metal reflective layer is in contact with one surface of the outermost magnetic layer which is opposite to the other surface of the outermost magnetic layer in contact with the non-magnetic layer. The metal reflective layer is likely to reflect conduction electrons while maintaining a spin direction of electrons.

Magnetoresistive device having a highly smooth metal reflective layer

A thin film magnetic head includes an upper shield section, a lower shield section and a magnetoresistance device section between the upper shield section and the lower shield section. The magnetoresistance device section is connected to the upper shield section and the lower shield section through conductive layers. Current flows through the magnetoresistance device section via the upper shield and the lower shield.

Thin film magnetic head

A magnetoresistance effect device of the invention includes: a substrate; and a multilayer structure formed on the substrate. The multilayer structure includes a hard magnetic film, a soft magnetic film, and a non-magnetic metal film for separating the hard magnetic film from the soft magnetic film. The magnetization curve of the hard magnetic film has a good square feature, and the direction of a magnetization easy axis of the hard magnetic film substantially agrees to the direction of a magnetic field to be detected.

Magnetoresistance effect device, and magnetoresistaance effect type head, memory device, and amplifying device using the same

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Katano, Japan

Mitsuo Satomi