Abstract: An anti-parallel pinned sensor is provided with a spacer that increases the anti-parallel coupling strength of the sensor. The anti-parallel pinned sensor is a GMR or TMR sensor having a pure ruthenium or ruthenium alloy spacer. The thickness of the spacer is less than 0.8 nm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 nm. The spacer is also annealed in a magnetic field that is 1.5 Tesla or higher, and preferably greater than 5 Tesla. This design yields unexpected results by more than tripling the pinning field over that of typical AP-pinned GMR and TMR sensors that utilize ruthenium spacers which are 0.8 nm thick and annealed in a relatively low magnetic field of approximately 1.3 Tesla.

Abstract: Exchange coupling energy between an anti-ferromagnetic layer and a first ferromagnetic layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic coupling energy between the first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer by way of an Ru anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer of a spin valve device are increased thereby increasing the magnetoresistance ratio and decreasing the coercivity of the free layer of the spin valve film. In an MnPt anti-ferromagnetic bottom type synthetic ferri-type spin valve film in which an underlayer, an anti-ferromagnetic layer comprising MnPt, a first ferromagnetic layer comprising CoFe, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer comprising Ru, a second ferromagnetic layer comprising CoFe, an intermediate non-magnetic layer comprising Cu, a free layer comprising synthetic films of CoFe and NiFe and a protective layer are stacked over a substrate, the Fe composition X in CoFeX of the first ferromagnetic layer is set as about: 20<x?50 at %.

Abstract: An anti-parallel pinned sensor is provided with a spacer that increases the anti-parallel coupling strength of the sensor. The anti-parallel pinned sensor is a GMR or TMR sensor having a pure ruthenium or ruthenium alloy spacer. The thickness of the spacer is less than 0.8 nm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 nm. The spacer is also annealed in a magnetic field that is 1.5 Tesla or higher, and preferably greater than 5 Tesla. This design yields unexpected results by more than tripling the pinning field over that of typical AP-pinned GMR and TMR sensors that utilize ruthenium spacers which are 0.8 nm thick and annealed in a relatively low magnetic field of approximately 1.3 Tesla.

Abstract: An anti-parallel pinned sensor is provided with a spacer that increases the anti-parallel coupling strength of the sensor. The anti-parallel pinned sensor is a GMR or TMR sensor having a pure ruthenium or ruthenium alloy spacer. The thickness of the spacer is less than 0.8 nm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 nm. The spacer is also annealed in a magnetic field that is 1.5 Tesla or higher, and preferably greater than 5 Tesla. This design yields unexpected results by more than tripling the pinning field over that of typical AP-pinned GMR and TMR sensors that utilize ruthenium spacers which are 0.8 nm thick and annealed in a relatively low magnetic field of approximately 1.3 Tesla.

Abstract: A magnetic domain control underlayer is formed below a magnetoresistive multi-layered film thereby bringing the magnetic domain control film into contact with both lateral end faces of a free layer and appropriate magnetic domain control can be attained in a state of minimizing a surplus bias magnetic field from the magnetic domain control film.

Abstract: An anti-parallel pinned sensor is provided with a spacer that increases the anti-parallel coupling strength of the sensor. The anti-parallel pinned sensor is a GMR or TMR sensor having a pure ruthenium or ruthenium alloy spacer. The thickness of the spacer is less than 0.8 nm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 nm. The spacer is also annealed in a magnetic field that is 1.5 Tesla or higher, and preferably greater than 5 Tesla. This design yields unexpected results by more than tripling the pinning field over that of typical AP-pinned GMR and TMR sensors that utilize ruthenium spacers which are 0.8 nm thick and annealed in a relatively low magnetic field of approximately 1.3 Tesla.

Abstract: Exchange coupling energy between an anti-ferromagnetic layer and a first ferromagnetic layer, and an anti-ferromagnetic coupling energy between the first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer by way of an Ru anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer of a spin valve device are increased thereby increasing the magnetoresistance ratio and decreasing the coercivity of the free layer of the spin valve film. In an MnPt anti-ferromagnetic bottom type synthetic ferri-type spin valve film in which an underlayer, an anti-ferromagnetic layer comprising MnPt, a first ferromagnetic layer comprising CoFe, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer comprising Ru, a second ferromagnetic layer comprising CoFe, an intermediate non-magnetic layer comprising Cu, a free layer comprising synthetic films of CoFe and NiFe and a protective layer are stacked over a substrate, the Fe composition X in CoFeX of the first ferromagnetic layer is set as about: 20<x?50 at %.

Abstract: A spin valve magnetic head, providing on a substrate, a laminated structure that has an antiferromagnetic layer, fixation layer, non-magnetic layer and unconstraint layer, and having a first underlayer of Ta, a second underlayer of NiFeCr and a third underlayer of NiFe, which underlayers are interposed between the substrate and the laminated structure.

Abstract: A magnetic domain control underlayer is formed below a magnetoresistive multi-layered film thereby bringing the magnetic domain control film into contact with both lateral end faces of a free layer and appropriate magnetic domain control can be attained in a state of minimizing a surplus bias magnetic field from the magnetic domain control film.

Abstract: To provide a spin-valve magnetic head comprising a layered film having preferable magnetic properties in which an interface control film to reduce magnetostriction to almost zero is inserted. By suppressing or offsetting the influence of an interface layer which increases the magnetostriction of a soft magnetic free layer in a spin-valve magnetoresistive layered film and making the magnetic properties of the very thin soft magnetic free layer preferable, a stable magnetic head of high sensitivity which is not influenced by stress is obtained by the improvement in the magnetic properties of the very thin soft magnetic free layer.

Abstract: A spin valve magnetic head which can offer high output and stable operation is proposed.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive head comprising a magnetoresistive film having electric resistance varying with a magnetic field, a pair of electrodes for causing a current to flow into the magnetoresistive film, and a soft magnetic film for applying a transverse biasing field to the magnetoresistive film, the soft magnetic film containing at least one material of iron, cobalt, and nickel, and at least one compound of zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, beryllium oxide, magnesium oxide, a rare earth oxygen compound, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, beryllium nitride, magnesium nitride, silicon nitride, and a rare earth nitrogen compound. The electric resistance of the soft magnetic film is raised by adding a compound thereto and current diverted from the magnetoresistive film to the soft magnetic film decreases, so that the reproducing voltage of the magnetoresistive head rises.

Abstract: A magnetic head having a magnetoresistive head having a spin valve structure in which a composite magnetic layer of a rotatable magnetizing direction layer and oxide or the like is used for a lower shielding layer and/or an upper shielding layer and a magnetic disk apparatus using such a head are disclosed. According to the invention, a magnetic head having a head of a magnetoresistance effect type generating a high output with low noises and a magnetic disk apparatus having a large quantity with high recording density can be realized.