Magnetoresistance effect element, magnetic head and magnetic reproducing apparatus

A magnetic head comprising:

• a magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
• a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer;
• and
• a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film,
• at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, and
• said thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure.

A magnetic reproducing apparatus which reads information magnetically recorded in a magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a magnetoresistance effect element comprising:
• a magnetic head having a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer having a magnetic material film whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, a nonmagnetic metal intermediate layer located between said pinned layer and said free layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic layer configured to pin said magnetization of said magnetically pinned layer;
• and
• a pair of electrodes electrically connected to said magnetoresistance effect film to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film,
• at least one of said pinned layer and said free layer including a thin-film insertion layer, and
• said thin-film insertion layer being a binary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 50 atomic % as the major component thereof, or a ternary alloy containing a quantity of iron (Fe) not less than 25 atomic % as the major component thereof, and said alloy having a body-centered cubic crystal structure.