Magnetic transducer, thin film magnetic head, method of manufacturing magnetic transducer and method of manufacturing thin film magnetic head

A thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a stack including a nonmagnetic layer having a pair of surfaces, a soft magnetic layer formed on one surface of the nonmagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer formed on the other surface of the nonmagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer formed on the ferromagnetic layer on the side opposite to the nonmagnetic layer;
• and a base for supporting the stack,
• wherein the ferromagnetic layer has an inner ferromagnetic layer, a coupling layer and an outer ferromagnetic layer, which are stacked in this order on the nonmagnetic layer, and an average crystal particle diameter of a surface or surfaces, interfacing with the coupling layer, of at least one of the inner ferromagnetic layer and the outer ferromagnetic layer, which is closer to the base, is greater than or equal to 3 nm and less than 8 nm.

A thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a stack including a nonmagnetic layer having a pair of surfaces, a soft magnetic layer formed on one surface of the nonmagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer formed on the other surface of the nonmagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer formed on the ferromagnetic layer on the side opposite to the nonmagnetic layer;
• and a base for supporting the stack,
• wherein the ferromagnetic layer has an inner ferromagnetic layer, a coupling layer and an outer ferromagnetic layer, which are stacked in this order on the nonmagnetic layer, and at least one of the inner ferromagnetic layer and the outer ferromagnetic layer, which is located closer to the base, has an average crystal particle diameter that is greater than or equal to 3 nm and less than 8 nm in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the stack.

A thin film magnetic head comprising:

• a stack including a nonmagnetic layer having a pair of surfaces, a soft magnetic layer formed on one surface of the nonmagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer formed on the other surface of the nonmagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer formed on the ferromagnetic layer on the side opposite to the nonmagnetic layer;
• and a base for supporting the stack,
• wherein the ferromagnetic layer has an inner ferromagnetic layer, a coupling layer and an outer ferromagnetic layer, which are stacked in this order on the nonmagnetic layer, and the stack includes a crystal-growth inhibitor layer, which is located on at least one of a side close to the antiferromagnetic layer and a side close to the soft magnetic layer with respect to the coupling layer, the crystal-growth inhibitor layer being dispersedly formed in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the stack.