# US 2019/0170835 A1 · Exchange-coupled film, magnetoresistive element including the same, and magnetic sensing device

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- Number: US 2019/0170835 A1
- Document ID: US20190170835A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/271,985
- Filed: 2019-02-11
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-10
- Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroaki ENDO; Fumihito KOIKE; Masamichi SAITO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170835A1

## CPC

- G11B 5/3906: {Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects}
- H01F 10/123: {having a L10 crystallographic structure, e.g. [Co,Fe][Pt,Pd] thin films}
- G01R 33/007: {Environmental aspects, e.g. temperature variations, radiation, stray fields (G01R33/025 takes precedence)}
- G01R 33/09: Magnetoresistive devices
- G01R 33/091: {Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications}
- G11B 5/3945: {Heads comprising more than one sensitive element}
- H01F 10/12: being metals or alloys (intermetallic compounds H01F10/18)
- H01F 10/3272: {by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets}
- H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices
- H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region
- G01R 33/0052: {Manufacturing aspects; Manufacturing of single devices, i.e. of semiconductor magnetic sensor chips (devices based on galvano-magnetic effect or the like H10N50/85)}
- G11B 2005/3996: {large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An exchange-coupled film includes an antiferromagnetic layer, pinned magnetic layer, and free magnetic layer which are stacked. The antiferromagnetic layer is composed of a Pt—Cr sublayer and an X—Mn sublayer (where X is Pt or Ir). The X—Mn sublayer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An exchange-coupled film comprising
an antiferromagnetic layer composed of a Pt—Cr sublayer and an X—Mn sublayer (where X is Pt or Ir); and
a pinned magnetic layer, the antiferromagnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer being stacked,
wherein the X—Mn sublayer of the antiferromagnetic layer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, wherein the pinned magnetic layer is a self-pinned layer including a first magnetic sublayer, intermediate sublayer, and second magnetic sublayer which are stacked.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the Pt—Cr sublayer is greater than the thickness of the X—Mn sublayer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 3, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the Pt—Cr sublayer to the thickness of the X—Mn sublayer is 5:1 to 100:1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, wherein the Pt—Cr sublayer has a composition represented by the formula PtXCr100 at %-X (X is 45 at % to 62 at %).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, wherein the Pt—Cr sublayer has a composition represented by the formula PtXCr100 at %-X (X is 50 at % to 57 at %).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, further comprising a base layer next to the antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the base layer is made of Ni—Fe—Cr.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A magnetoresistive element comprising the exchange-coupled film according to claim 1 and a free magnetic layer, the exchange-coupled film and the free magnetic layer being stacked.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A magnetic sensing device comprising the magnetoresistive element according to claim 8.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8, 9)

The magnetic sensing device according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive elements, placed on a single substrate, identical to the magnetoresistive element according to claim 8, wherein the magnetoresistive elements include those having different pinned magnetization directions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method for manufacturing the exchange-coupled film according to claim 1, comprising forming the Pt—Cr sublayer by a process for co-sputtering Pt and Cr.