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:
Jan. 20, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2001
Masayoshi Hiramoto, Nara, JP;
Hiroshi Sakakima, Kyoto, JP;
Hideaki Adachi, Osaka, JP;
Nozomu Matukawa, Nara, JP;
Kenji Iijima, Kyoto, JP;
Mitsuo Satomi, Osaka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
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.