Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Spin valve thin film magnetic element and thin film magnetic head
A spin valve thin film magnetic element is provided composed of an antiferromagnetic layer; a pinned magnetic layer, formed in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, in which the direction of magnetization is pinned by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the antiferromagnetic layer; a nonmagnetic conductive layer in contact with the pinned magnetic layer; and a free magnetic layer in contact with the nonmagnetic conductive layer, wherein the free magnetic layer is composed of a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and the first and second free magnetic layers holding the nonmagnetic intermediate layer therebetween; the first free magnetic layer and the second free magnetic layer are antiferromagnetically coupled to enter the ferrimagnetic state; and a resistivity of the first free magnetic layer in the side farther from the nonmagnetic intermediate layer is higher than a resistivity of the second free magnetic layer in the nonmagnetic intermediate layer side. According to the spin valve thin film magnetic element, it is possible to increase the detection sensitivity for the external magnetic field, to reduce the shunt loss of the sensing current, and to increase the rate of change in magnetoresistance.
Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
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G01R Y10S B82Y Y10T Y10T G11B G11B H01F Y10T B82Y
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Yosuke Naoya Masamichi Kenichi
Ide Hasegawa Saito Tanaka