Patent ID: 7178222
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a tunneling magnetoresistive element comprising: (a) the step of forming an electrode layer on a substrate, and then laminating first antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer in which magnetization is pinned in a predetermined direction by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer, an insulating barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer in turn from the bottom to form a multilayer film; (b) the step of forming, on the multilayer film, a lift-off resist layer having a notched portion formed on the lower side thereof; (c) the step of removing both sides of the multilayer film leaving at least a portion of the multilayer film below the resist layer; (d) the step of forming insulating layers, which cover side faces of the insulating barrier layer, on both sides of the multilayer film so that the multilayer film-side ends of the upper surfaces of the insulating layers are lower than both ends of an upper surface of the free magnetic layer; (e) the step of forming domain control layers on the insulating layers by sputtering obliquely to the substrate so that the domain control layers contact both ends of the free magnetic layer, and the multilayer film-side ends of the domain control layers coincide with both ends of a top of the multilayer film, wherein each of the domain control layers comprises a Co—Pt alloy film or a Co—Cr—Pt alloy film, wherein underlying layers are formed below each of the domain control layers, that controls crystal orientation of the domain control layers, and wherein each of the underlying layers comprises a bcc-Fe film or a Fe—Co alloy film, each of the underlying layers is disposed between each side face of the free magnetic layer and each of the domain control layers, and each of the underlying layers is in direct contact with the free magnetic layer and each of the domain control layers; and (f) the step of removing the resist layer, and forming an electrode layer on the multilayer film and the domain control layers.