US 6,687,099 B2 · Magnetic head with conductors formed on endlayers of a multilayer film having magnetic layer coercive force difference

Magnetic head with conductors formed on endlayers of a multilayer film having magnetic layer coercive force difference

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsRyoichi Nakatani, Masahiro Kitada, Naoki Koyama, Isamu Yuito, Hisashi Takano, Eijin Moriwaki, Mikio Suzuki, Masaaki Futamoto, Fumio Kugiya, Yoshibumi Matsuda, Kazuo Shiiki, Yoshinori Miyamura, Kyo Akagi, Takeshi Nakao, Hirotsugu Fukuoka, Takayuki Munemoto, Tokuho Takagaki, Toshio Kobayashi, Hideo Tanabe, Noboru Shimizu

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer of an insulating material, a semiconductor or an antiferromagnetic material against the magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A magnetic head, comprising:

a first non-magnetic metal layer;
a magneto-resistance effect film formed on the first non-magnetic metal layer;
and
a second non-magnetic metal layer formed on the magneto-resistance effect film;
wherein said magneto-resistance effect film includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, and an intermediate insulating layer formed between said first magnetic layer and said second magnetic layer;
and
wherein a coercive force of said first magnetic layer is smaller than that of said second magnetic layer;
the magneto-resistance effect element is arranged so that a tunnel current flows between said first magnetic layer and said second magnetic layer through said intermediate insulating layer in the presence of a sense current;
and a magnetization direction of said first magnetic layer changes in the presence of a changing external magnetic field.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/270,120Filed 15 Oct 2002 · continuation

Priority

JP 2-1486438 Jun 1990

Published

US 2003/0117750 A126 Jun 2003

Granted

3 Feb 2004

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

G11B 5/398
Using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures: specially shaped layers
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
B82Y 25/00
Nanomagnetism
G01R 33/093
Magnetoresistive devices: using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors

Family

Application07/710,775Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jun 1991

Application08/328,090Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Oct 1994

US 5,390,061 AParent of this continuation · filed 14 Feb 1995

Application08/626,333Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Apr 1996

US 6,011,674 AParent of this continuation · filed 2 Apr 1996

US 5,726,837 AParent of this continuation · filed 10 Mar 1998

Application09/468,309Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Dec 1999

Application09/931,897Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Aug 2001

US 6,278,593 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Aug 2001

US 2003/0117750 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Jun 2003

US 6,483,677 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2002/0018325 A1Published application

US 6,687,099 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.