Patent ID: 7733612
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A giant magneto-resistive effect device (GMR device) having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a fixed magnetized layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with said nonmagnetic spacer layer interleaved between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, characterized in that: said free layer functions such that a direction of magnetization changes depending on an external magnetic field, and said fixed magnetization layer has a synthetic pinned morphology wherein an inner pin layer and an outer pin layer are stacked one upon another with a nonmagnetic intermediate layer held between them, said inner pin layer being located at a position nearer to said nonmagnetic spacer layer than to said outer pin layer, wherein: a width W said fixed magnetization layer has tapers at both ends as viewed from a medium opposite plane, each of said tapers is tapered down to said non-magnetic spacer layer with the stacking direction of said device as a center axis direction, wherein a taper angle θ a magnetic volume ratio (Mso×V a magnetic thickness ratio (Mso×t