Spin-valve type thin film magnetic element
AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorNaoya Hasegawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The relation of (RS1/H1)/(Rsg/Hg)≦0.02 is valid when the extending length in the vertical direction from an opposed face to an magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the electrode layer is represented by H1, a sheet resistance of the electrode layer is defined by Rs1, the extending length in the vertical direction from an opposed face to an magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the laminated body, or the elevation of the element, is defined by Hg, and the sheet resistance of the laminated body is defined by Rsg, thereby the output characteristics of the spin-valve type thin film magnetic element is improved while preventing side-reading from generating.
Claims14
A spin valve type thin film magnetic element comprising:
- a laminated body formed by laminating, on a substrate, at least an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer formed in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer in which the direction of magnetization is fixed by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer formed on the pinned magnetic layer by being separated with a non-magnetic conductive layer, the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer being aligned to be approximately perpendicular to the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer;
- a bias layer for aligning the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer to be approximately perpendicular to the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer;
- and
- an overlay part extending on the surface side of the laminated body from each side toward the center of the laminated body,
- a pair of electrode layers for flowing a sense current in the laminated body being further provided,
- wherein the relation represented by the following general equation is valid when the length of the electrode layer vertically extending in the direction from an opposed face to a magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the magnetic element is represented by H1, a sheet resistance of the electrode layer is represented by Rs1, the length of the laminated body vertically extending in the direction from an opposed face to the magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the magnetic element, or the elevation of the magnetic element, is represented by Hg, and the sheet resistance of the laminated body is represented by Rsg:
- (Rs1/H1)/(Rsg/Hg)≦0.02.
A spin valve type thin film magnetic element comprising:
- a laminated body formed by laminating, on a substrate, at least an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer formed in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer in which the direction of magnetization is fixed by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer formed on the pinned magnetic layer by being separated with a non-magnetic conductive layer, the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer being aligned to be approximately perpendicular to the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer;
- a bias layer for aligning the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer to be approximately perpendicular to the direction of magnetization of the pinned magnetic layer;
- and
- an overlay part extending on the surface of the laminated body from the each side toward the center of the laminated body,
- a pair of electrode layers for providing a sense current to the laminated body being further provided,
- wherein the relation represented by the following general equation is valid when the length vertically extending from an opposed face to a magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the magnetic element is represented by H1, the length Hg vertically extending from an opposed face to the magnetic recording medium toward the inside of the magnetic element, or the elevation of the magnetic element, is adjusted in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 μm, and a sheet resistance Rsg of the electrode layer is adjusted in the range of 15 to 25 Ω/M2:
- (Rs1/H1 ≦1 Ω/μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.