Patent ID: 6690554
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive-effect device comprising:a multilayer film comprising: an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, which is deposited on and in contact with said antiferrornagnetic layer, and a magnetization direction of which is pinned through an exchange anisotropic magnetic field with said antiferromagnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer, separated from said pinned magnetic layer by a nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer; a pair of hard bias layers, deposited on both sides of said multilayer film, for orienting a magnetization direction of said free magnetic layer perpendicular to the magnetization direction of said pinned magnetic layer; and a pair of electrode layers respectively deposited on said hard bias layers, wherein said electrode layers extend over said multilayer film, and said electrode layers are in direct contact with the multilaver film, wherein said multilayer film is fabricated by successively laminating said antiferromagnetic layer, said pinned magnetic layer, said nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer, and said free magnetic layer in that order from below, wherein said antiferromagnetic layer laterally extends from the layers laminated thereon, and the hard bias layers, intermediate layers, and the electrode layers are respectively laminated on metallic layers respectively deposited on said antiferromagnetic layers in said laterally extending regions thereof, wherein said free magnetic layer is in a ferrimagnetic state in which the magnetization directions of two adjacent soft magnetic thin films, separated by the nonmagnetic material layer, are aligned antiparallel to each other, wherein a magnetic coupling junction between said multilayer film and each bias layer is fabricated of an interface with an end face of only one of the plurality of the soft magnetic thin films forming said free magnetic layer, and wherein an insulator layer is denosited between said electrode layers, which are deposited above and on both sides of said multilayer film, and an end face of said insulator layer is in direct contact with each of said electrode layers or is separated from each of said electrode layers by a layer, an angle made between an end face of the electrode in contact with both side surfaces of the insulator layer and a top surface of the multilaver film is at least 90 degrees.