Patent ID: 6731479
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A spin-valve thin-film magnetic element comprising:a laminate formed on a substrate, the laminate comprising an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic conductive layer in contact with the pinned magnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer in contact with the nonmagnetic conductive layer; bias layers formed on both sides in the track-width direction of the laminate; and electrode layers formed on the bias layers, wherein the bias layers are in contact with both sides of the laminate and extend over the peripheral sections of the laminate with ferromagnetic bias underlying layers therebetween, the bias layers comprising a Coâ€”Pt alloy having a mixture of a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure and a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure, the bias underlying layers comprising Fe or an Feâ€”Co alloy having a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure and a thickness of 1.8 to 2.5 nm, further wherein the Fe or Feâ€”Co alloy has a lattice constant that is close to that of the Coâ€”Pt alloy.