Tdk Corporation

Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Takahiko Machita

Daisuke Miyauchi

Koji Shimazawa

Yoshihiro Tsuchiya

Shinji Hara

Tsutomu Chou

Tomohito Mizuno

Kenzo Makino

Satoshi Miura

Keita Kawamori

Takekazu Yamane

Naomichi Degawa

Takumi Yanagisawa

Kei Hirata

Toshiyuki Ayukawa

Kiyoshi Noguchi

Takayasu Kanaya

Minoru Ota

Chunping Luo

Stuart Kao

Chaopeng Chen

Shohei Kawasaki

Jeiwei Chang

Yoshikazu Sawada

Kenta Hamamoto

Kosuke Tanaka

Soji Koide

Hideyuki Ukita

Yasushi Nishioka

Kazuki Sato

Tetsuya Roppongi

Jei-Wei Chang

Masashi Sano

Hisayoshi Watanabe

Hironobu Matsuzawa

Tetsuya Hiraki

Shuji Okame

A magnetic head includes a magneto-resistance effect element in the form of a multilayer film, a pair of shields between which the magneto-resistance effect element is interposed in the lamination direction of the layers of the magneto-resistance effect element and each functioning as an electrode, a pair of side shields with one of said side shields on each side of the magneto-resistance effect element in the direction perpendicular to the lamination direction of the magneto-resistance effect element interposed between the pair of shields, the side shields magnetically coupled to either of the pair of shields, and an anisotropy-application layer disposed adjacent to the shield magnetically coupled to the pair of side shields. The pair of shields, the magneto-resistance effect element, and the pair of side shields are exposed on the air bearing surface facing a recording medium. The anisotropy-application layer is not exposed on the air bearing surface and is provided at a position away from the air bearing surface.

Magnetic head comprising magneto-resistance effect element and side shields

A magnetoresistive effect element that prevents a recording medium from deteriorating by effectively inhibiting erroneous writing to a medium or the like includes a magnetoresistive effect part, and an upper shield layer and a lower shield layer that are laminated and formed in a manner sandwiching the magnetoresistive effect part from above and below, and is in a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) structure in which a sense current is applied in a lamination direction. The magnetoresistive effect part includes a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer that sandwich the nonmagnetic intermediate layer from above and below, the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer have inclined magnetization structures in which magnetizations of them are respectively inclined with respect to a track width direction, the magnetizations of the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer are mutually substantially orthogonal, the first ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the upper shield layer via a first exchange coupling function gap layer that is positioned between the first ferromagnetic layer and the upper shield layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the lower shield layer via a second exchange coupling function gap layer that is positioned between the second ferromagnetic layer and the lower shield layer.

CPP-type magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic disk device

An MR element includes an MR part and upper and lower shield layers in a CPP structure. The MR element has side shield layers so as to interpose the MR part between the side shield layers in a track width direction. The MR part comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer and first and second ferromagnetic layers so as to interpose the nonmagnetic intermediate layer between the ferromagnetic layers. Each of the upper and lower shield layers has an inclined magnetization structure such that its magnetization is inclined relative to the track width direction. The side shield layers are magnetically coupled with the upper shield layer, respectively. The second ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the lower shield layer via an exchange-coupling functional gap layer. The side shield layer applies a bias magnetic field to the first ferromagnetic layer; and magnetizations of the first and second ferromagnetic layers are substantially orthogonal.

CPP-type magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic disk device using side shield layers

A thin film magnetic head includes a spin valve film that includes a magnetization free layer, a magnetization pinned layer and a non-magnetic spacer layer that is disposed between the magnetization free and pinned layers, and a pair of side layers that are disposed at both sides of the spin valve film in a track width direction and at least in the vicinity of the magnetization free layer and the magnetization pinned layer. Each of the side layers has a bias magnetic field application layer that includes a soft magnetic layer and applies a bias magnetic field in the track width direction to the magnetization free layer, and a gap layer that is positioned between the spin valve film and the bias magnetic field application layer, and the side layers have compression stresses at least in the vicinity of the magnetization pinned layer.

Thin film magnetic head with side layers under compression stress

An MR element suppressing a false writing into a medium with an MR part has a CPP structure. The MR part includes a nonmagnetic intermediate layer and first and second ferromagnetic layers so as to interpose the nonmagnetic intermediate layer. First and second shield layers respectively have an inclining magnetization structure of which a magnetization is inclined with regard to a track width direction. The first and second ferromagnetic layers are respectively, magnetically coupled with the first and second shield layers. A magnetization direction adjustment layer for adjusting at least a magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer is positioned at a rear end surface side of the first ferromagnetic layer, which is opposite to a front end surface receiving a magnetic field detected in the MR part.

CPP-type magnetoresistive element including a rear bias structure and lower shields with inclined magnetizations

A thin film magnetic head including an MR laminated body composed of a first and second MR magnetic layers, first and second shield layers, and a bias magnetic field application layer provided on an opposite side of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the MR laminated body in order to apply a bias magnetic field orthogonal relative to the ABS. The first shield layer includes a first exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and a first antiferromagnetic layer; and the second shield layer includes a second exchange coupling magnetic field application layer and a second antiferromagnetic layer.

Thin film magnetic head having a pair of magnetic layers whose magnetization is controlled by shield layers

The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device of the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure (CPP-GMR device) comprising a spacer layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked together with said spacer layer sandwiched between them, with a sense current passed in the stacking direction, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer function such that the angle made between the directions of magnetizations of both layers change relatively depending on an external magnetic field, said spacer layer contains a semiconductor oxide layer, and a nitrogen element-interface protective layer is provided at a position where the semiconductor oxide layer forming the whole or a part of said spacer layer contacts an insulating layer. Thus, there is a nitride of high covalent bonding capability formed at the surface of junction between the semiconductor oxide layer and the interface protective layer, so that the migration of oxygen from the semiconductor oxide layer to the insulating layer is inhibited; even when the device undergoes heat and stress in the process, fluctuations and deteriorations of device characteristics are held back.

CPP type magneto-resistive effect device and magnetic disk system

A thin film magnetic head includes: a magneto resistance effect film of which electrical resistance varies corresponding to an external magnetic field; a pair of shields provided on both sides in a manner of sandwiching the MR film in a direction that is orthogonal to a film surface of the MR film; an anisotropy providing layer that provides exchange anisotropy to a first shield of the pair of shields in order to magnetize the first shield in a desired direction, and that is disposed on the opposite side from the MR film with respect to the first shield; and side shields that are disposed on both sides of the MR film in a track width direction and that include soft magnetic layers magnetically connected with the first shield.

Thin film magnetic head including soft layer magnetically connected with shield

A thin film magnetic head includes; an MR film that includes a pinned layer of which a magnetization direction is pinned, a free layer of which a magnetization direction varies, and a spacer that is disposed therebetween; a pair of shields that are disposed on both sides sandwiching the MR film in a direction orthogonal to a film surface of the MR film; and an anisotropy providing layer that provides anisotropy to a first shield so that the first shield is magnetized in a desired direction, and that is disposed on an opposite side from the MR film with respect to the first shield. The MR film includes a magnetic coupling layer that is disposed between the first shield and the free layer and that magnetically couples the first shield with the free layer.

Thin film magnetic head including spin-valve film with free layer magnetically connected with shield

A method of manufacturing a magnetic head, including a magneto resistance effect (MR) element that reads a magnetic recording medium, is disclosed. A multilayer film is formed on a shield layer. Unnecessary portions of the multilayer film are removed from both sides of the MR element in a first direction orthogonal to a lamination direction of the multilayer film and parallel to the MR element surface facing the magnetic recording medium. An insulating layer is formed on a surface exposed by removal of the unnecessary portions. An integrated soft magnetic layer covering both sides of the MR element in the first direction and an upper side of the MR element is formed, thereby configuring a second shield layer. An anisotropy application layer is formed on the second shield layer, thereby providing exchange anisotropy to the soft magnetic layer, and magnetizing the soft magnetic layer in a predetermined direction.

Method of manufacturing a magnetic head including shield layers which surround a MR element

A thin film magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive (MR) stack disposed between first and second shield layers in a direction orthogonal to the film surface; a first exchange-coupling layer that is positioned between the MR stack and the first shield layer; a second exchange-coupling layer that is positioned between the MR stack and the second shield layer; a bias magnetic field application layer that is disposed at an opposite surface of the MR stack from an air bearing surface (ABS); and pair of side shield layers that are positioned at both sides of the MR stack with respect to a track width direction. Each of the side shield layers includes a pair of magnetic layers that are antiferromagnetically exchange-coupled through a side shield ruthenium layer.

CPP-type thin film magnetic head provided with side shields including a pair of antimagnetically exchanged-coupled side shield magnetic layers

A magnetoresistive effect element is structured in the manner that the antiferromagnetic layer interposed between the upper and lower shields is eliminated and the antiferromagnetic layer is positioned in a so-called shield layer. Therefore, it is realized to solve a pin reversal problem and to allow narrower tracks and narrower read gaps.

Magnetoresistive effect element and magnetic disk device

Using a beam of xenon ions together with a suitable mask, a stack is ion milled until a part of it, no more than about 0.1 microns thick, has been removed so that a pedestal having sidewalls, including a vertical section and a shortened taper portion, has been formed. This is followed by formation of conductive lead layers as needed. Using xenon as the sputtering gas enables the point at which milling is terminated to be more precisely controlled.

Method of using xenon ion beams to improve track width definition

An MR element includes a first exchange coupling shield layer, an MR stack, and a second exchange coupling shield layer that are arranged in this order from the bottom, and a nonmagnetic layer surrounding the MR stack. The MR stack includes a first free layer, a spacer layer, a second free layer, and a magnetic cap layer that are arranged in this order from the bottom. In the step of forming the MR stack and the nonmagnetic layer, a protection layer is formed on a layered film that will be the MR stack later, and a mask is then formed on the protection layer. Next, the layered film and the protection layer are etched using the mask and then the nonmagnetic layer is formed. After removal of the mask, the protection layer is removed by wet etching.

Method of manufacturing magnetoresistive element having a pair of free layers

A thin film magnetic head includes a magneto-resistance (MR) laminated body, a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer that face the first MR magnetic layer. The lower and upper shield layers respectively have first and second anti-parallel layers and first and second antiferromagnetic layers. An exchange coupling intensity relating to an antiferromagnetic coupling between the second anti-parallel layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer is greater in the peripheral area of a projection area than that of the projection area of the upper shield layer side end surface of the MR laminated body to the film surface's orthogonal direction.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Takahiko Machita