Patent ID: 7005014

Claim:
A method of producing an exchange coupling film comprising an antiferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer, and a seed layer comprising a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal, which seed layer contacts said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween on a side opposite to said ferromagnetic layer, said method comprising: forming said ferromagnetic layer such that said ferromagnetic layer contacts said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween; forming said seed layer such that said (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal is preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to said interface between said seed layer and said antiferromagnetic layer, thereby creating a difference lattice constant between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer at at-least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer; and heat treating the so formed ferromagnetic layer, antiferromagnetic layer, and seed layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said ferromagnetic layer.