Patent ID: 7365948

Claim:
An exchange-coupled film comprising a seed layer, an antiferromagnetic layer, and a ferromagnetic layer disposed in that order from the bottom, a magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer being directed in a predetermined direction by an exchange coupling magnetic field generated at an interface between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer; wherein the seed layer is a metal layer etched from a critical thickness or larger to have a thickness that is smaller than or equal to the critical thickness, wherein the seed layer comprises an etched surface facing the antiferromagnetic layer, and wherein the seed layer includes crystal grains, each crystal grain having a first end face flush with the etched surface and a second end face flush with an opposing lower surface of the seed layer; and wherein a crystalline phase of the seed layer has a face-centered cubic structure and an equivalent crystal plane represented as {111} plane is oriented parallel to the interface.