Abstract: A magnetoresistance device has an MgO (magnesium oxide) layer provided between a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The device is manufactured by forming a film of the MgO layer in a film forming chamber. A substance whose getter effect with respect to an oxidizing gas is large is adhered to surfaces of components provided in the chamber for forming the MgO layer. The substance having a large getter effect is a substance whose value of oxygen gas adsorption energy is 145 kcal/mol or higher. Ta (tantalum), in particular, is preferable as a substance which constitutes the magnetoresistance device.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magneto-resistive effect device, the manufacturing method includes steps of: forming an Mg film on a substrate on which a reference layer is formed and oxidizing the Mg film to form an MgO layer on the reference layer; heating the substrate on which the MgO layer is formed; after the step of heating, forming an Mg layer on the MgO layer; cooling the substrate on which the Mg layer is formed; and forming a free layer on the Mg layer in a state where the substrate is cooled by the cooling step, and the step of forming the Mg layer, the step of cooling, and the step of forming the free layer are performed in the process same process chamber.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magneto-resistive effect device, the manufacturing method includes steps of: forming an Mg film on a substrate on which a reference layer is formed and oxidizing the Mg film to form an MgO layer on the reference layer; heating the substrate on which the MgO layer is formed; after the step of heating, forming an Mg layer on the MgO layer; cooling the substrate on which the Mg layer is formed; and forming a free layer on the Mg layer in a state where the substrate is cooled by the cooling step, and the step of forming the Mg layer, the step of cooling, and the step of forming the free layer are performed in the process same process chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive effect device which can improve the through-put and achieve a high MR ratio. A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes steps of: forming a first ferromagnetic layer; forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first ferromagnetic layer in a first chamber; and forming a second ferromagnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer, wherein the step of forming the tunnel barrier layer includes steps of: forming a metal layer on the first ferromagnetic layer; oxidizing the metal layer; and, before the step of forming the second ferromagnetic layer, reducing a pressure inside the first chamber to a predetermined pressure at which the metal layer vaporizes, while keeping a temperature inside the first chamber at a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention, the following operations are performed while a substrate holder is being rotated at a fixed rotation speed with plasma being generated. Specifically, a first state where a substrate holding surface of the substrate holder is exposed to a target holder is formed to start a first deposition of divisional depositions, and a second state where the surface is shut off from the target holder is formed in T/X seconds after the start of the first divisional deposition. Moreover, the first state is formed to start an n-th deposition of the divisional depositions when a reference point set on the substrate holder arrived at a position rotated by (n?1)×360/X degrees from a position of the reference point located at the start of the targeted deposition, and the second state is formed in T/X seconds after the start of the n-th divisional deposition.

Abstract: Provided is a high-quality magnetoresistive thin film by using a method of controlling self bias of a high-frequency sputtering device. In order to control the self bias for the substrate by adjusting a substrate potential, the high-frequency sputtering device according to the present invention includes: a chamber; evacuation means for evacuating the inside of the chamber; gas introduction means for supplying a gas into the chamber; a substrate holder provided with a substrate mounting table; rotation drive means capable of rotating the substrate holder; a sputtering cathode provided with a target mounting table and arranged such that the surface of the target mounting table is non-parallel to the surface of the substrate mounting table; an electrode disposed inside the substrate holder; and a variable impedance mechanism electrically connected to the electrode, for adjusting the substrate potential on the substrate holder.

Abstract: In a substrate treatment system including multiple treatment chambers around a substrate transfer chamber, an increase in apparatus floor area due to installation of additional treatment chambers is reduced. A plasma treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a treatment chamber; a substrate holder for holding the substrate; plasma generation unit for forming plasma; multiple gate valves for installation and removal of the substrate; a shield for surrounding the plasma formed by the plasma generation unit; and substrate transfer unit for transferring the substrate through the gate valves. The substrate transfer unit is shielded from the plasma by the shield.

Abstract: The magnetic anisotropy of a magnetic layer in a spin valve tunnel magnetoresistive element or giant magnetoresistive element is enhanced. Deposition of the magnetic layer is performed by making sputtering particles obliquely incident on a substrate from a certain incident direction at a certain incident angle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum heating/cooling apparatus capable of rapidly heating and also rapidly cooling only a substrate while a high vacuum degree is maintained after film-formation processing. The vacuum heating/cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber (1), a halogen lamp (2) which emits heating light, a quartz window (3) for allowing the heating light to enter the vacuum chamber (1), a substrate supporting base (9) having a cooling function, and a lift pin (13) which causes the substrate (5) to stand still at a heating position P3 and a cooling position P1 and moves the substrate (5) between the heating position P3 and the cooling position P1.

Abstract: An oxidizing method and oxidizing apparatus in which a plasma generating chamber having an oxidizing gas supply port and a substrate processing chamber having an exhaust port and internally having a substrate susceptor are connected via a partition having a number of through holes, a plasma of an oxidizing gas supplied into the plasma generating chamber is generated, and an oxide layer is formed on a substrate surface by supplying the generated active species onto a substrate are characterized in that the partition is connected to a power supply via a switching mechanism such that a positive, negative, or zero voltage is applied to the partition, and an oxidation process is performed by changing the ratio of radicals, positive ions, and negative ions in the active species supplied onto the substrate by switching the voltages at least once during the oxidation process.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device has an MgO (magnesium oxide) layer provided between a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The device is manufactured by forming a film of the MgO layer in a film forming chamber. A substance whose getter effect with respect to an oxidizing gas is large is adhered to surfaces of components provided in the chamber for forming the MgO layer. The substance having a large getter effect is a substance whose value of oxygen gas adsorption energy is 145 kcal/mol or higher. Ta (tantalum), in particular, is preferable as a substance which constitutes the magnetoresistive device.

Abstract: An oxidizing method and oxidizing apparatus in which a plasma generating chamber having an oxidizing gas supply port and a substrate processing chamber having an exhaust port and internally having a substrate susceptor are connected via a partition having a number of through holes, a plasma of an oxidizing gas supplied into the plasma generating chamber is generated, and an oxide layer is formed on a substrate surface by supplying the generated active species onto a substrate are characterized in that the partition is connected to a power supply via a switching mechanism such that a positive, negative, or zero voltage is applied to the partition, and an oxidation process is performed by changing the ratio of radicals, positive ions, and negative ions in the active species supplied onto the substrate by switching the voltages at least once during the oxidation process.

Abstract: According to the present invention, it can be switched whether or not to apply a magnetic field to a substrate depending on a material of a film to be formed, and a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer can be formed in the same chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum heating/cooling apparatus capable of rapidly heating and also rapidly cooling only a substrate while a high vacuum degree is maintained after film-formation processing. The vacuum heating/cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber (1), a halogen lamp (2) which emits heating light, a quartz window (3) for allowing the heating light to enter the vacuum chamber (1), a substrate supporting base (9) having a cooling function, and a lift pin (13) which causes the substrate (5) to stand still at a heating position P3 and a cooling position P1 and moves the substrate (5) between the heating position P3 and the cooling position P1.

Abstract: A tunnel magnetoresistive thin film has a high MR ratio and improves heat resistance while maintaining a thin film of a Ru layer used as a non-magnetic layer so that the Ru layer expresses a preferable exchange coupling magnetic field even through annealing is performed at a high temperature. In the tunnel magnetoresistive thin film, at least one of a first pinned magnetic layer and a second pinned magnetic layer that are layered having the non-magnetic layer for exchange coupling therebetween has a layered structure of two or more layers made of magnetic materials different from each other.

Abstract: According to the present invention, it can be switched whether or not to apply a magnetic field to a substrate depending on a material of a film to be formed, and a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer can be formed in the same chamber.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device has an MgO (magnesium oxide) layer provided between a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The device is manufactured by forming a film of the MgO layer in a film forming chamber. A substance whose getter effect with respect to an oxidizing gas is large is adhered to surfaces of components provided in the chamber for forming the MgO layer. The substance having a large getter effect is a substance whose value of oxygen gas adsorption energy is 145 kcal/mol or higher. Ta (tantalum), in particular, is preferable as a substance which constitutes the magnetoresistive device.

Abstract: The vacuum heating and cooling apparatus can rapidly heat and cool only the substrate after film-forming treatment while maintaining high vacuum. The temperature rise of members in the chamber with time caused by accumulation of heat is suppressed, and the variation of temperature between substrates is decreased.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive device has a magnetic free layer (33), a magnetic pinned layer (31) having a magnetic moment larger than that of the magnetic free layer, and an intermediate layer (32) provided between the magnetic free layer and the magnetic pinned layer. The negative-resistance device is characterized in that the negative-resistance device shows negative resistance by making the magnetic free layer continually change the magnetization direction along with the increase of the voltage which is applied to a magneto-resistive device so that electrons flow into the negative-resistance device from a magnetic free layer side.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistance element with an MR ratio higher than that of the related art. A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistance element includes a step of forming a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer provided between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer on a substrate. In the method, the tunnel barrier layer is formed by arranging a target that has a diameter smaller than that of the substrate, contains a magnesium oxide sintered body, and has a relative density 90% or more so as to be inclined with respect to a surface to be deposited of the substrate, and forming a magnesium oxide layer using a sputtering method while rotating the substrate.