Exchange-coupled film, spin valve film, thin film magnetic head, magnetic head apparatus, and magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus

An exchange-coupled film in which an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer sandwich are stacked and in which a direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer sandwich is pinned,

• wherein said ferromagnetic layer sandwich comprises a first ferromagnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic material of the body-centered cubic structure, and a pair of second ferromagnetic layers containing a ferromagnetic material of the face-centered cubic structure and formed on respective sides of the first ferromagnetic layer, and
• wherein said antiferromagnetic layer contains a disordered alloy chosen from the group consisting of IrMn alloys, RuRhMn alloys, FeMn alloys and RuMn alloys, and said antiferromagnetic layer is kept in contact with one of said second ferromagnetic layers, and
• wherein said antiferromagnetic layer has a thickness of 10 nm less and
• wherein said exchange-coupled film yields a high exchange coupling energy Jk of not less than 263 μJ/m2.