FERROMAGNETIC STRUCTURE, SPIN VALVE STRUCTURE AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spin valve structure which includes a Heusler alloy in which ordering temperature is reduced and can obtain higher signal detection sensitivity.;SOLUTION: A spin valve structure 1 is a CPP-GMR sensor having: a free layer 18; a non-magnetic spacer layer 17; and an SyAP layer 16 in which a first ferromagnetic layer 15, a coupling layer 14, and the second ferromagnetic layer 13 are sequentially laminated from a free layer 18 side. The first Ferromagnetic layer 15 and the free layer 18 have a multi-layer structure with a plurality of Heusler alloy layers which consist of a Heusler alloy such as Co₂MnSi, and an insertion layer which is provided between these Heusler alloy layers. The insertion layer consists of aluminum and FeCo. Thereby, annealing temperature for ordering a crystal structure in the Heusler alloy is reduced.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT