Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element includes a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a free layer having a magnetization direction variable depending on an external magnetic field, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer includes a Heusler alloy layer and a magnetostriction reduction layer made of a 4th group element, a 5th group element, or a 6th group element.

Abstract: A magneto-resistance effect element (MR element) used for a thin film magnetic head is configured by a buffer layer, an anti-ferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, a spacer layer, a free layer, and a cap layer, which are laminated in this order, and a sense current flows through the element in a direction orthogonal to the layer surface, via a lower shield layer and a upper shield layer. The pinned layer comprises an outer layer in which a magnetization direction is fixed, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and an inner layer which is a ferromagnetic layer. The spacer layer comprises a first non-magnetic metal layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second non-magnetic metal layer. The first non-magnetic metal layer and the second non-magnetic metal layer comprise CuPt films having a thickness ranging from a minimum of 0.2 nm to a maximum of 2.0 nm, and the Pt content ranges from a minimum of 5 at % to a maximum of 25 at %.

Abstract: A magnetic thin film has a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed with respect to an external magnetic field, a free layer whose magnetization direction is changed according to the external magnetic field, and a spacer layer which is sandwiched between said pinned layer and said free layer. Sense current is configured to flow in a direction that is perpendicular to film surfaces of said pinned layer, said spacer layer, and said free layer. Said spacer layer has a CuZn metal alloy which includes an oxide region, said oxide region consisting of an oxide of any of Al, Si, Cr, Ti, Hf, Zr, Zn, and Mg.

Abstract: A magnetic thin film has: a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed with respect to an external magnetic field; a free layer whose magnetization direction is changed in accordance with the external magnetic field; and a non-magnetic spacer layer that is sandwiched between said pinned layer and said free layer, wherein sense current is configured to flow in a direction that is perpendicular to film surfaces of said pinned layer, said non-magnetic spacer layer, and said free layer. Said non-magnetic spacer layer has a first layer which includes SnO2, and a pair of second layers which are provided to sandwich said first layer, said second layers being made of a material which exhibits a higher corrosion potential than Sn.

Abstract: The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a spacer layer, and a fixed magnetized layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with said spacer layer interleaved between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein the spacer layer comprises a first and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interleaved between the first and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, wherein the semiconductor oxide layer that forms a part of the spacer layer is made of indium oxide (In2O3), or the semiconductor oxide layer contains indium oxide (In2O3) as its main component, and an oxide containing a tetravalent cation of SnO2 is contained in the indium oxide that is the main component.

Abstract: The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having the CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a spacer layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked one upon another with the spacer layer interposed between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein the spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interposed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, the semiconductor oxide layer that forms a part of said spacer layer contains zinc oxide as its main component wherein the main component zinc oxide contains an additive metal, and the additive metal is less likely to be oxidized than zinc.

Abstract: The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device having a CPP structure comprising a spacer layer, and a fixed magnetization layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with said spacer layer interposed between them, wherein the free layer functions such that its magnetization direction changes depending on an external magnetic field, and the spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interposed between them, wherein the semiconductor oxide layer forming a part of the spacer layer comprises zinc oxide as a main ingredient, wherein the main ingredient zinc oxide contains at least one selected from among oxides containing a trivalent cation of Al2O3, Ga2O3, In2O3, and B2O3, and a tetravalent cation of TiO2.

Abstract: A spacer layer of an MR element includes: a nonmagnetic metal layer disposed on a pinned layer; a protection layer disposed on the nonmagnetic metal layer to prevent oxidation or nitriding of the nonmagnetic metal layer; an island-shaped insulating layer disposed on the protection layer; and a coating layer covering these layers. When seen in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the pinned layer, there are formed in the spacer layer a region where the insulating layer is present and a region where the insulating layer is absent. A thickness of the protection layer taken in at least part of the region where the insulating layer is absent is zero or smaller than a thickness of the protection layer taken in the region where the insulating layer is present.

Abstract: The thickness of the semiconductor layer forming a part of the spacer layer is set in the thickness range for a transitional area showing conduction performance halfway between ohmic conduction and semi-conductive conduction in relation to the junction of the semiconductor layer with the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the second nonmagnetic metal layer. This permits the specific resistance of the spacer layer to be greater than that of an ohomic conduction area, so that spin scattering and diffusion depending on a magnetized state increases, resulting in an increase in the MR ratio. The CPP-GMR device can also have a suitable area resistivity (AR) value. If the device can have a suitable area resistivity and a high MR ratio, it is then possible to obtain more stable output power in low current operation than ever before, and extend the service life of the device as well. The device is also lower in resistance than a TMR device, so that significant noise reductions are achievable.

Abstract: The invention provides a CPP-GMR device comprising a spacer layer. The spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor layer interposed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the second nonmagnetic metal layer, and further comprises a work function control layer formed between the first nonmagnetic metal layer and the semiconductor layer and/or between the second nonmagnetic metal layer and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is an n-type semiconductor, and the work function control layer is made of a material having a work function smaller than that of said first nonmagnetic metal layer, and said second nonmagnetic metal layer.

Abstract: In an MR element constituted in such a manner that a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer whose magnetization direction is changed according to an external magnetic field, are laminated in this order; the free layer has a multilayer constitution including a magnetic body mixed with an element having 4f electrons at a ratio of 2 at % to 25 at. %. Specifically, the first layer in contact with the spacer layer, the third layer, the fifth layer, and the seventh layer of the free layer are formed by mixing Nd, Sm, Gd, or Tb into CoFe having a ratio of Co less than or equal to 70 at. %. The second layer and the sixth layer of the free layer are formed by mixing Nd, Sm, Gd, or Tb into NiFe having a ratio of Ni greater than or equal to 70 at. % and less than 100 at. %. The third layer of the free layer is Cu. A damping constant of the free layer is greater than 0.018.

Abstract: The invention provides a giant magneto-resistive effect device (CPP-GMR device) having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a spacer layer, and a fixed magnetization layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with the spacer layer interposed between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction. The free layer functions such that the direction of magnetization changes depending on an external magnetic field. The spacer layer comprises a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer, each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor layer formed between the first and the second nonmagnetic metal layer. The semiconductor layer is an n-type oxide semiconductor. When the first and second nonmagnetic metal layers are formed in order, the first nonmagnetic metal layer is formed prior to the second nonmagnetic metal layer, and an anti-oxidizing layer is formed between the first and the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Switch means switches air passages to provide communication between an auxiliary air passage and the suction side of an electric blower with fine dust removed from a pleated filter by a rotating body being received by a dust receiving section. Air is sucked from an outside-air intake opening into the electric blower through the dust receiving section and a fine dust filter in a dust collecting section unit, which allows the fine dust collected in the dust receiving section to be trapped in the fine dust filter, resulting in improved cleanliness.

Abstract: An MR element includes: a free layer having a direction of magnetization that changes in response to a signal magnetic field; a pinned layer having a fixed direction of magnetization; and a spacer layer disposed between these layers. The spacer layer includes a first nonmagnetic metal layer and a second nonmagnetic metal layer each made of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor layer that is made of a material containing an oxide semiconductor and that is disposed between the first and second nonmagnetic metal layers. The MR element has a resistance-area product within a range of 0.1 to 0.3?·m2, and the spacer layer has a conductivity within a range of 133 to 432 S/cm.

Abstract: A free layer functions such that a magnetization direction changes depending on an external magnetic field, and is made up of a multilayer structure including a first Heusler alloy layer, and a fixed magnetization layer takes a form wherein an inner pin layer and an outer pin layer are stacked one upon another with a nonmagnetic intermediated layer sandwiched between them. The inner pin layer is made up of a multilayer structure including a second Heusler alloy layer. The first and second Heusler alloy layers are each formed by a co-sputtering technique using a split target split into at least two sub-targets in such a way as to constitute a Heusler alloy layer composition. When the Heusler alloy layer is formed, therefore, it is possible to bring up a film-deposition rate, improve productivity, and improve the performance of the device.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetoresistive device capable of stably maintaining sufficient output characteristics even under a higher temperature environment while responding to a demand for a higher recording density. The magnetoresistive device comprises an MR film including a fixing layer made of IrMn, an outer pinned layer of which the magnetization direction is fixed in a +Y direction by the fixing layer, and an inner pinned layer of which the magnetization direction is fixed in a ?Y direction by the fixing layer, a pair of conductive lead layers and a constant current circuit which flows a sense current in a +X direction so as to generate a current magnetic field toward a ?Y direction in the inner pinned layer, and in the magnetoresistive device, a conditional expression (1) is satisfied.

Abstract: The invention provides a magneto-resistive effect device having a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure comprising a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a fixed magnetized layer and a free layer stacked one upon another with said nonmagnetic spacer layer sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, wherein said free layer functions such that its magnetization direction changes depending on an external magnetic field, and is made up of a multilayer structure including a Heusler alloy layer, wherein an Fe layer is formed on one of both planes of said Heusler alloy layer in the stacking direction, wherein said one plane is near to at least a nonmagnetic spacer layer side, and said fixed magnetization layer is made up of a multilayer structure including a Heusler alloy layer, wherein Fe layers are formed on both plane sides of said Heusler alloy layer in the stacking direction with said Heusler alloy layer sandwiched between them.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic field detecting element having a free layer whose magnetization direction is variable depending on an external magnetic field and a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed with respect to the external magnetic field, said free layer and said pinned layer being stacked with an electrically conductive, nonmagnetic spacer layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein sense current is configured to flow in a direction that is perpendicular to film planes of the magnetic field detecting element is provided. The method has the steps of: forming a spacer adjoining layer that is adjacent to said spacer layer, Heusler alloy layer, and a metal layer successively in this order; and forming either at least a part of said pinned layer or said free layer by heating said spacer adjoining layer, said Heusler alloy layer, and said metal layer. The spacer adjoining layer has a layer that is chiefly made of cobalt and iron.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic field detecting element has the steps of: forming stacked layers by sequentially depositing a pinned layer, a spacer layer, a spacer adjoining layer which is adjacent to the spacer layer, a metal layer, and a Heusler alloy layer in this order, such that the layers adjoin each other; and heat treating the stacked layers in order to form the free layer out of the spacer adjoining layer, the metal layer, and the Heusler alloy layer. The spacer adjoining layer is mainly formed of cobalt and iron, and has a body centered cubic structure, and the metal layer is formed of an element selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, palladium, or platinum, or is formed of an alloy thereof.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a motor-driven blower for drawing air and a dust-catching unit for separating dust from the air drawn by the blower and catching the dust separated from the air. A receptacle is located between the blower and the dust-catching unit and holds a filter for filtering the air that has passed through the dust-catching unit. An airflow control device is arranged between the filter and the blower. The airflow control device generates a first airflow, which passes through the dust-catching unit and the filter and goes toward the motor-driven blower. The airflow control device generates a second airflow, too, which bypasses the filter, passes through at least a part of the dust-catching unit, and goes toward the motor-driven blower. The part of the dust-catching unit is located downstream of the receptacle, with respect to a direction in which the second airflow goes.