Magnetoresistive element and devices utilizing the same
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYuji Kawano, Tatsuya Fukami, Motohisa Taguchi, Kazuhiko Tsutsumi
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Abstract
A MR element which has a basically three-layered structure wherein the first and the second magnetic layer sandwich the nonmagnetic layer or of a basically five-layered structure wherein nonmagnetic layers are sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers and between the second and third magnetic layers, respectively. The MR element of such arrangement offers a surprisingly large MR ratio under application of a sufficiently low magnetic field despite such a simple arrangement thereof.
Claims34
A magnetoresistive element comprising a substrate and a three-layered structure provided on the substrate,
- wherein said three-layered structure comprises a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer provided between said first and second magnetic layers;
- the magnetization directions of said first and second magnetic layers are oriented parallel or antiparallel to each other under a magnetic field applied thereto set at 0.
A magnetoresistive element comprising a substrate, and a three-layered structure having a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers, the first and second magnetic layers being each formed of Fe.sub.1-x Co.sub.x (0.5.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0), said three-layered structure further having at least one of a buffer layer provided between the substrate and the first magnetic layer and a cap layer provided on the second magnetic layer.
A magnetoresistive element comprising a substrate, and a five-layered structure provided on the substrate and having a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer, which layers are stacked on the substrate in that order, a first nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers and a second nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the second and third magnetic layers, each of said first and second magnetic layers being formed of Fe.sub.1-x Co.sub.x (0.5.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0),
- wherein under a magnetic field applied thereto set at 0, the magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and that of the third magnetic layer are oriented parallel to each other while the magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer is oriented perpendicular to the magnetization directions of the first and third magnetic layers.
A magnetoresistive element comprising a substrate, a five-layered structure having a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a third magnetic layer, which layers are stacked on the substrate in that order, a first nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the first and second magnetic layers and a second nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the second and third magnetic layers, and at least one of a buffer layer provided between the substrate and the first magnetic layer and a cap layer provided on the third magnetic layer, each of said first and second magnetic layers being formed of Fe.sub.1-x Co.sub.x (0.5.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.