Abstract: Provided is a thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording, which has a structure offering a high formatted volume, easy servo, difficulty of influencing a recording pattern on a medium, and capability of shortening processing time. This thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording is formed on a reproducing head composed of a pair of shield layers formed on a substrate, and a reproducing element formed therebetween. A structure is provided, where an auxiliary pole is not disposed between the reproducing element of the reproducing head and the main pole of a recording head when seen from a surface facing to recording media.

Abstract: Disclosed are a fast, highly-integrated and highly-reliable magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and a semiconductor device which uses the MRAM. The semiconductor device performs the read-out operation of the MRAM using memory cells for storing information by using a change in magnetoresistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element with a high S/N ratio. Each memory cell includes an MTJ element and a bipolar transistor. The read-out operation is carried out by selecting a word line, amplifying a current flowing in the MTJ element of a target memory cell by the bipolar transistor and outputting the amplified current to an associated read data line.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording, which has a structure offering a high formatted volume, easy servo, difficulty of influencing a recording pattern on a medium, and capability of shortening processing time. This thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording is formed on a reproducing head composed of a pair of shield layers formed on a substrate, and a reproducing element formed therebetween. A structure is provided, where an auxiliary pole is not disposed between the reproducing element of the reproducing head and the main pole of a recording head when seen from a surface facing to recording media.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetoresistive head which can realize high sensitivity and low noise even when the reading track is being reduced. Longitudinal biasing is performed to a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetization is rotated according to an external magnetic field by providing unidirectional magnetic anisotropy by exchange coupling to an antiferromagnetic layer. A hard magnetic film is arranged at the edge of a magnetoresistive film to reduce an effective reading track width.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a magnetoresistive head with high yield, less in noise and superior in high frequency performance, as a CPP structure magnetoresistive head, which is capable of suppressing a noise caused by a bump on an upper shield layer or a lower shield layer, and reducing capacitance C.

Abstract: The influence of ion milling is extremely suppressed even in a composite magnetic thin film head comprising a magnetoresistive thin film head used by passing an electric current perpendicularly to a multilayer structure. The number of ion milling steps after the formation of a magnetoresistive thin film head is reduced as much as possible, whereby the influence of electrostatic charging arising from an ion milling apparatus is obviated. In specific embodiments, an inductive magnetic thin film head is first formed on a substrate, and thereafter a magnetoresistive thin film head is formed thereon. The magneto resistive thin film head includes a magneto resistive film having a multilayer structure and configured to be used by passing a detection current perpendicularly to the multilayer structure. In one embodiment, the inductive magnetic thin film head has a structure in which a coil is buried at the same horizontal position as a lower pole.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head having little temperature rise in the element, good heat dissipation and a short magnetic path length (narrow coil pitch) and manufacturing method for same is provided. To form the coil of the thin-film magnetic head, a lower coil is first formed and after forming alumina and an inorganic compound containing alumina, a trench is formed for the upper coil by reactive ion etching. The lower coil allows uniform etching at this time and functions as a film to prevent loading effects occurring during reactive ion etching. This trench is then plated in copper and chemical mechanical planarization performed to form the upper layer coil as the dual-layer coil of the present invention. Heat from the coil is efficiently radiated towards the substrate by alumina and an inorganic compound containing alumina with good heat propagation.

Abstract: Disclosed are a fast, highly-integrated and highly-reliable magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and a semiconductor device which uses the MRAM. The semiconductor device performs the read-out operation of the MRAM using memory cells for storing information by using a change in magnetoresistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element with a high S/N ratio. Each memory cell includes an MTJ element and a bipolar transistor. The read-out operation is carried out by selecting a word line, amplifying a current flowing in the MTJ element of a target memory cell by the bipolar transistor and outputting the amplified current to an associated read data line.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording, which has a structure offering a high formatted volume, easy servo, difficulty of influencing a recording pattern on a medium, and capability of shortening processing time. This thin film single pole head for perpendicular magnetic recording is formed on a reproducing head composed of a pair of shield layers formed on a substrate, and a reproducing element formed therebetween. A structure is provided, where an auxiliary pole is not disposed between the reproducing element of the reproducing head and the main pole of a recording head when seen from a surface facing to recording media.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetoresistive head which can realize high sensitivity and low noise even when the reading track is being reduced. Longitudinal biasing is performed to a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetization is rotated according to an external magnetic field by providing unidirectional magnetic anisotropy by exchange coupling to an antiferromagnetic layer. A hard magnetic film is arranged at the edge of a magnetoresistive film to reduce an effective reading track width.

Abstract: Disclosed are a fast, highly-integrated and highly-reliable magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and a semiconductor device which uses the MRAM. The semiconductor device performs the read-out operation of the MRAM using memory cells for storing information by using a change in magnetoresistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element with a high S/N ratio. Each memory cell includes an MTJ element and a bipolar transistor. The read-out operation is carried out by selecting a word line, amplifying a current flowing in the MTJ element of a target memory cell by the bipolar transistor and outputting the-amplified current to an associated read data line.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a spacer having at least a nonmagnetic metal layer inserted between the upper shield layer and the longitudinal bias layers or between the upper shield layer and the longitudinal bias layers plus the magnetoresistive film, the shortest distance between the longitudinal bias layers and the free layer of the magnetoresistive film is set smaller than the shortest distance between the longitudinal bias layers and the upper shield layer, and this arrangement ensures that the amount of magnetic flux entering the magnetoresistive film from the longitudinal bias layers is larger than that absorbed by the upper shield layer, thus realizing a magnetic sensor whose Barkhausen noise is suppressed.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetoresistive effect sensor that is a yoke type magnetoresistive effect sensor having a tunnel magnetoresistive effect film, which is operated stably with suppressed Barkhausen noise, and provides a reproducing head and a magnetic disk apparatus that use the magnetoresistive effect sensor. The magnetoresistive effect sensor is provided with a tunnel magnetoresistive effect film, a pair of electrodes for supplying a current in the film thickness direction of the magnetoresistive effect film, and a magnetic flux guide for guiding a magnetic flux from the recording medium: surface to the magnetoresistive effect film, wherein the magnetic domain of a free layer of the tunnel type magnetoresistive effect film and the magnetic domain of the magnetic flux guide are both controllable together.

Abstract: Disclosed is a CPP structure magnetoresistive head having high output which reduces or prevents deformation near the air bearing surface of a layer constituting a read element portion at the time of air bearing surface processing. In the CPP structure magnetoresistive head, deformation near the air bearing surface which occurs when air bearing surface processing is carried out by mechanical polishing can be reduced by forming deformation prevention layers having a higher shear modulus than a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer between a magnetoresistive film and at least one of a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor which, despite a narrow reproducing shield gap, affords high resolution and high reproducing output because of its structure and is able to minimize the amount of sense current leaking into the shield layer through the gap layer. A magnetic storage apparatus suitable for high-density recording is provided with a magnetic head having said magnetoresistive sensor. The structure is characterized in that at least either of the lower shield layer or upper shield layer is partly or entirely a magnetic layer which is a composite film composed of ferromagnetic metal and oxide, and an insulation protective film is arranged between the electrode film or longitudinal bias film and the magnetic film which is a composite film composed of ferromagnetic metal and oxide.

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: The invention provides a magnetoresistive effect sensor that is a yoke type magnetoresistive effect sensor having a tunnel magnetoresistive effect film, which is operated stably with suppressed Barkhausen noise, and provides a reproducing head and a magnetic disk apparatus that use the magnetoresistive effect sensor. The magnetoresistive effect sensor is provided with a tunnel magnetoresistive effect film, a pair of electrodes for supplying a current in the film thickness direction of the magnetoresistive effect film, and a magnetic flux guide for guiding a magnetic flux from the recording medium surface to the magnetoresistive effect film, wherein the magnetic domain of a free layer of the tunnel type magnetoresistive effect film and the magnetic domain of the magnetic flux guide are both controllable together.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetoresistive head which can realize high sensitivity and low noise even when the reading track is being reduced. Longitudinal biasing is performed to a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetization is rotated according to an external magnetic field by providing unidirectional magnetic anisotropy by exchange coupling to an antiferromagnetic layer. A hard magnetic film is arranged at the edge of a magnetoresistive film to reduce an effective reading track width.

Abstract: A magnetic head include a pair of magnetic shield layers, a pair of gap layers formed between the pair of magnetic shield layers, a magnetoresistive layer arranged between the pair of gap layers, and a pair of electrodes electrically connected to the magnetoresistive layer. At least one of the pair of magnetic shield layers is formed as a discontinuous multi-layer or as a mixed layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor employing a magnetoresistive sensor film of a GMR film or a TMR film and a magnetic flux guide to ensure high sensitivity and high stability. Magnetization of a magnetic flux guide and a first ferromagnetic layer, which is a free layer of a GMR sensor film or a TMR sensor film, are made to antiferromagnetically couple to each other via a nonmagnetic intermediate layer 21. Since net magnetic moment has become small in the area in which the magnetoresistive sensor film is arranged, and an angle of magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer rotated by magnetic field which has been guided by the magnetic flux guide enlarges, high sensitivity can be obtained. When a longitudinal biasing layer is provide for the magnetic flux guide, longitudinal biasing magnetic field is applied to the ferromagnetic layer as well which is antiferromagnetically coupled to the magnetic flux guide, thus being able to suppress Barkhausen noise of both the magnetic flux guide and the ferromagnetic layer.