Patent ID: 7310208
Filing Date: 2007-12-18
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
1. A magnetoresistive sensor comprising a multilayer film that contains a pinned magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, and a free magnetic layer, wherein the pinned magnetic layer contains a plurality of magnetic sublayers with a nonmagnetic intermediate sublayer interposed therebetween, a first magnetostriction-enhancing layer made of a nonmagnetic metal is provided in contact with the opposite side of a first magnetic sublayer to the nonmagnetic material layer, the first magnetic sublayer being the farthest of the plurality of magnetic sublayers from the nonmagnetic material layer, at least one of the top surface or the bottom surface of at least one non magnetic intermediate sublayer has a lattice constant larger than that of Ru, at least part of crystal in the first magnetostriction-enhancing layer and in the first magnetic sublayer, and at least part of crystal in the nonmagnetic intermediate sublayer and in the magnetic sublayer in contact with a side of the nonmagnetic intermediate sublayer, the side having a lattice constant larger than that of Ru, are in an epitaxial or a heteroepitaxial state, and the pinned magnetic layer has an open end face opposite to a recording medium.