Patent ID: 8472149

Claim:
A giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising: a first ferromagnetic layer; a spacer layer; and a second ferromagnetic layer, wherein: (A) the first and second ferromagnetic layer are stacked together with the spacer layer sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction; (B) the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer function such that an angle made between directions of magnetizations of both layers changes relatively depending on an external magnetic field; the spacer layer comprises: a first nonmagnetic metal layer; a semiconductor oxide layer made of ZnO; and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, wherein the first and second nonmagnetic metal layer are each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and the semiconductor oxide layer is interposed between the first and second nonmagnetic metal layer; (C) at a position where the semiconductor oxide layer forming a part of the spacer layer contacts an insulating layer, there is a nitrogen element-containing interface protective layer interposed between the semiconductor layer and the insulating layer; (D) the nitrogen element-containing interface protective layer is at least one selected from the group consisting of SiN, SiON, AlON, BN, and BON; (E) a content of nitrogen atoms in anions forming the nitrogen element-containing interface protective layer is greater than 10 at %; (F) the nitrogen element-containing interface protective layer has a thickness of at least 0.3 nm; and (G) ZnN is formed at an interface between the semiconductor oxide layer and the nitrogen element-containing interface protective layer.