Back to results
US 2007/0183098 A1Published application
Magneto-resistance effect element and thin-film magnetic head
AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorsYoshihiro Tsuchiya, Tomohito Mizuno, Daisuke Miyauchi, Koji Shimazawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An MR element has a pinned layer, a spacer layer, and a free layer successively stacked in the order named. The free layer includes a Heusler alloy layer in at least a region thereof adjacent to the spacer layer. An oxide is distributed as sea-islands in the interface between the Heusler alloy layer and the spacer layer. The Heusler alloy layer virtually has a stoichiometric composition. The oxide has an RA in the range from 0.10 Ωμm2 to 0.36 Ωμm2.
Claims15
A magneto-resistance effect element comprising:
- a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction;
- a free layer having a magnetization direction variable depending on an external magnetic field;
- a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between said pinned layer and said free layer;
- at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a Heusler alloy layer which is disposed adjacent to said spacer layer and which virtually has a stoichiometric composition;
- and
- an oxide distributed as sea-islands in an interface between at least one of the Heusler alloy layers and said spacer layer.
3 more elements
A magneto-resistance effect element comprising:
- a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction;
- a free layer having a magnetization direction variable depending on an external magnetic field;
- a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between said pinned layer and said free layer;
- at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a Heusler alloy layer which is disposed adjacent to said spacer layer;
- and
- an oxide distributed as sea-islands in an interface between at least one of the Heusler alloy layers and said spacer layer;
- said magneto-resistance effect element having an areal resistance value in the range from 0.10 Ωμm2 to 0.36 Ωμm2.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.