The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 30, 2000
Kazuhiko Hayashi, Tokyo, JP;
Keishi Ohashi, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuyuki Ishiwata, Tokyo, JP;
Masafumi Nakada, Tokyo, JP;
Eizo Fukami, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroaki Honjo, Tokyo, JP;
Hisanao Tsuge, Tokyo, JP;
Atsushi Kamijo, Tokyo, JP;
NEC Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A magnetoresistance element includes a lower electrode layer, a magnetoresistance effect layer, an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode anti-erosion/flaking layer. The lower electrode anti-erosion/flaking layer, which is formed before a photoresist layer remaining on the patterned lower electrode layer is removed, is formed around the lower electrode layer so that its edge facing the lower electrode layer will be in contact with the edge of the lower electrode layer. By use of the lower electrode anti-erosion/flaking layer, the edge of the lower electrode layer is protected from being exposed to a release agent containing a dissolved photoresist in a photoresist layer removal step (when the photoresist layer remaining on the patterned lower electrode layer is removed), thereby the increase of roughness of the edge of the lower electrode layer due to erosion/flaking of the edge in the photoresist removal step can be avoided, and thereby electrical shorts between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer can be eliminated, and thereby a magnetoresistance element of high sensitivity and high performance can be obtained and manufacturing yield of the magnetoresistance elements can be improved.