Patent ID: 6391431
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A spin valve magnetoresistance effect film which comprises a multilayered film comprising a non-magnetic metal layer, a ferromagnetic layer formed on one surface of the non-magnetic metal layer, a soft magnetic layer formed on the other surface of said non-magnetic metal layer, an antiferromagnetic layer which is formed on the surface of said ferromagnetic layer remote from the other surface thereof which abuts said non-magnetic metal layer so as to pin a direction of magnetization of said ferromagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetization promote layer formed on the surface of said antiferromagnetic layer remote from the other surface thereof which abuts said ferromagnetic layer,wherein said antiferromagnetic layer comprises PtMn or NiMn and having a CuAu-I type regular crystal structure, and wherein said antiferromagnetic layer is heat treated for generating exchange coupling relative to said ferromagnetic layer, wherein said antiferromagnetic layer after heat treatment bas a state wherein (110) crystal surfaces are oriented on a film surface of said antiferromagnetic layer, and wherein a value of I0/I1 is set in the range of 1-10 for PtMn or 0.1-5 for NiMn, said I0 representing an X-ray diffraction intensity exhibiting (110) crystal orientation surfaces on the film surface of said antiferromagnetic layer and said I1 representing an X-ray diffraction intensity exhibiting (111) crystal orientation surfaces on the film surface of said antiferromagnetic layer.