Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head, and magnetic reproducing apparatus

A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:

• a magnetoresistance effect film including a first ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a second ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the first and second ferromagnetic layers;
• a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of the magnetoresistance effect film;
• a magnetic layer provided between the pair of electrodes, the magnetic layer comprising a first region and a second region, the first region including at least one element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and carbon in higher concentration than the second region;
• and
• a magnetic coupling interception layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first or second ferromagnetic layer.

A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:

• a magnetoresistance effect film including a first ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a second ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the first and second ferromagnetic layers;
• a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of the magnetoresistance effect film;
• a magnetic layer provided between the pair of electrodes, the magnetic layer comprising a first region and a second region, the first region including at least one element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and carbon in higher concentration than the second region;
• and
• a layer provided between the magnetic layer and the first or second ferromagnetic layer, the layer having a thickness between 1 nm and 3 nm and including at least one element selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, silver, rhenium, osmium, ruthenium, iridium, palladium, chromium, magnesium, aluminum, rhodium and platinum.

A magnetic head comprising a magnetoresistance effect element comprising:

• a magnetoresistance effect film including a first ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a second ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the first and second ferromagnetic layers;
• a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of the magnetoresistance effect film;
• and
• a phase separation layer provided between the pair of electrodes, the phase separation layer comprising a first phase and a second phase formed by a phase separation in a solid phase from an alloy including a plurality of elements, one of the first and second phases including at least one element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and carbon in higher concentration than other of the first and second phases.

A magnetic reproducing apparatus which reads magnetic information in a magnetic recording medium,

• the magnetic reproducing apparatus comprising a magnetoresistance effect element for reading the magnetic information comprising:
• a magnetoresistance effect film including a first ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a second ferromagnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the first and second ferromagnetic layers;
• a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of the magnetoresistance effect film;
• and
• a phase separation layer provided between the pair of electrodes, the phase separation layer comprising a first phase and a second phase formed by a phase separation in a solid phase from an alloy including a plurality of elements, one of the first and second phases including at least one element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and carbon in higher concentration than other of the first and second phases.