Patent ID: 6710985
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive film comprising a multilayered film including: an underlayer; an antiferromagnetic layer formed on and in contact with the underlayer; a pinned magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction is fixed by the antiferromagnetic layer; and a free magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction changes in accordance with an external magnetic filed, and indicating a magnitude of resistance in accordance with an angle formed by the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer,wherein said pinned magnetic layer comprises a first soft magnetic layer and a second soft magnetic layer formed of soft magnetic materials and an antiparallel coupling middle layer, formed between the soft magnetic layers, for coupling the magnetizations of the soft magnetic layers to each other in opposite directions, said antiferromagnetic layer comprises an ordered-form antiferromagnetic material including Mn, and said underlayer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os, Re, Tc, Cd, Ti, Zn, Al, Au, Ir, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ag, Nb, Mo, W, V, and &agr;-Ta or an alloy including an element of the selected metal.