FILM BONDED THROUGH EXCHANGE INTERACTION, MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT USING THE FILM, AND THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD USING THE ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a film bonded through exchange interaction, which can generate a strong switching anisotropic magnetic field, by using an antiferromagnetic material containing an element X (selected from among the platinum group) and Mn as an antiferromagnetic layer, a magnetoresistance effect element using the film, and a thin-film magnetic head using the element.;SOLUTION: In the film bonded through exchange interaction, the antiferromagnetic layer 4 and a ferromagnetic layer 3 are contained with their identical equivalent crystal faces being preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the films 4 and 3 and at least parts of identical equivalent crystallographic axes existing in the crystal faces are oriented in different directions in the layers 4 and 3. Consequently, the antiferromagnetic layer 4 causes appropriate regular transformation, when the layer 4 is heat- treated and a magnetic field bonded with exchange interaction, which is large as compared with the conventional example, can be obtained.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2002,JPO