# US 5,702,832 A · Magnetoresistance effect element

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- Number: US 5,702,832 A
- Document ID: US5702832A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/652,850
- Filed: 1996-05-23
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1992-10-30
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Hitoshi Iwasaki; Yuichi Ohsawa; Reiko Kondoh; Susumu Hashimoto; Atsuhito Sawabe; Yuzo Kamiguchi; Masashi Sahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702832A

## CPC

- G11B 5/3903: {using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 25/00: Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
- H01F 10/324: {Exchange coupling of magnetic film pairs via a very thin non-magnetic spacer, e.g. by exchange with conduction electrons of the spacer}
- H01F 10/325: {the spacer being noble metal}
- H01F 10/3268: {the exchange coupling being asymmetric, e.g. by use of additional pinning, by using antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling interface, i.e. so-called spin-valve [SV] structure, e.g. NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn}
- H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices
- H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region
- G11B 5/3932: {Magnetic biasing films}
- G11B 2005/3996: {large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices}
- Y10S 428/90: Magnetic feature
- Y10S 428/928: Magnetic property
- Y10T 428/1121: Multilayer
- Y10T 428/12465: having magnetic properties, or preformed fiber orientation coordinate with shape
- Y10T 428/12493: Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T 428/12542: More than one such component
- Y10T 428/12576: Boride, carbide or nitride component
- Y10T 428/1259: Oxide
- Y10T 428/12611: Oxide-containing component
- Y10T 428/1266: O, S, or organic compound in metal component
- Y10T 428/12674: Ge- or Si-base component
- Y10T 428/1275: Next to Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12806: Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12854: Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/12861: Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12875: Platinum group metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12882: Cu-base component alternative to Ag-, Au-, or Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/12889: Au-base component
- Y10T 428/12896: Ag-base component
- Y10T 428/12903: Cu-base component
- Y10T 428/1291: Next to Co-, Cu-, or Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/12931: Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base components, alternative to each other
- 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)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetoresistance effect element which has a film with a spin valve structure or an artificial lattice film having good soft magnetic characteristics, and which can be applied to a high-sensitivity magnetic head. The present invention provides a magnetoresistance effect element including a stacked film formed on a substrate by sequentially stacking a ferromagnetic film containing as its main constituents at least one elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, a nonmagnetic film, and the ferromagnetic film, wherein the two ferromagnetic films are not coupled with each other, and the closest packed plane of each ferromagnetic film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a substrate;
a stacked film formed on said substrate, said stacked film including a first ferromagnetic film a direction of magnetization of which is substantially pinned, a second ferromagnetic film the magnetization of which rotates with a signal magnetic field, said second ferromagnetic film having an fcc phase, and a non-magnetic film disposed between said first and second ferromagnetic films, wherein each of said first ferromagnetic film and said second ferromagnetic film, independently, contains a material selected from the group consisting of Co, a CoFe alloy, a NiFe alloy, a CoNi alloy and a CoFeNi alloy, and wherein said nonmagnetic film contains a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir, Au, Ag, CuPd, CuAu, and CuNi; and
a pair of leads for supplying a current to said stacked film;
wherein a (111) plane of said stacked film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a surface of said stacked film, and a half band width of a rocking curve is about 7.degree. or less at a (111) plane reflection peak of an X-ray diffraction curve of said stacked layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An element according to claim 1, wherein said first and second ferromagnetic films are not substantially coupled.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An element according to claim 1, further comprising a first bias film for applying a first bias magnetic field to said first ferromagnetic film, and a second bias film for applying a second bias magnetic field to said second ferromagnetic film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An element according to claim 1, further comprising an underlying film provided between said substrate and said stacked film, said underlying film having an fcc phase.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An element according to claim 1, further comprising an underlying film provided between said substrate and said stacked film, said underlying film containing an amorphous material.

### Claim 6

A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
a substrate;
a stacked film formed on said substrate, said stacked film including a first ferromagnetic film a direction of magnetization of which is pinned, a second ferromagnetic film the magnetization of which rotates with a signal magnetic field, said second ferromagnetic film having an fcc phase, and a non-magnetic film disposed between said first and second ferromagnetic films, wherein each of said first ferromagnetic film and said second ferromagnetic film, independently, contains a material selected from the group consisting of Co, a CoFe alloy, a NiFe alloy, a CoNi alloy and a CoFeNi alloy, and wherein said non-magnetic film contains a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir, Au, Ag, CuPd, CuAu and CuNi; and
a pair of leads for supplying a current to said stacked film;
wherein a (111) plane of said stacked film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a surface of said stacked film, and said substrate has a surface roughness of about 5 nm or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An element according to claim 6, wherein said first and second ferromagnetic films are not substantially coupled.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

An element according to claim 6, further comprising a first bias film for applying a first bias magnetic field to said first ferromagnetic film, and a second bias film for applying a second bias magnetic field to said second ferromagnetic film.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

An element according to claim 6, further comprising an underlying film provided between said substrate and said stacked film, said underlying film having an fcc phase.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

An element according to claim 6, further comprising an underlying film provided between said substrate and said stacked film, said underlying film containing an amorphous material.