Patent ID: 7418777

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a spin valve film comprising the steps of: forming an undercoat film on a substrate; forming, on the undercoat film, a first ferromagnetic film serving as a free layer; forming an electrically conductive film on the first ferromagnetic film; forming, on the electrically conductive film, a second ferromagnetic film serving as a pinned layer; and forming an antiferromagnetic film on the second ferromagnetic film, wherein the spin valve film includes the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film; and wherein during a film making process for forming the spin valve film, and after a completion of a first forming process for forming a first film of two films which are selected from the undercoat film, the first ferromagnetic film, the electrically conductive film, and the second ferromagnetic film and which are to be formed successively, but before an initiation of a second forming process for forming a second film of the two films, a step of decreasing an anisotropic magnetic field of the spin valve film is initiated by interrupting the film making process is introduced.