公开(公告)号：JP2003158313A

公开(公告)日：2003-05-30

申请号：JP2002198104

申请日：2002-07-08

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： LIN TSANN ,  MAURI DANIELE

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/012 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spin valve sensor using one or a plurality of in situ oxide film as a cap layer or a gap layer in order to increase the GMR coefficient and to improve temperature stability. SOLUTION: A step for forming a multilayer metal film on a wafer and then transferring a wafer, in vacuum, to an oxidizing module performing in situ oxidation is included. When that method is used in order to form a cap layer, the cap layer is required to be oxidized partially. Subsequently, magnetic field annealing can be performed without causing intefacial mixture or oxygen diffusion substantially. A resulting spin valve sensor exhibits improvement of temperature stability principally attained through increase of GMR coefficient due to induced mirror face scattering of conduction electrons and protection of a fundamental detection layer against intefacial mixture or oxygen diffusion during annealing process. The gap layer can also be formed of multilayer in situ deposition and oxidation of a metal film.

公开(公告)号：JP2001195710A

公开(公告)日：2001-07-19

申请号：JP2000327713

申请日：2000-10-26

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： LIN TSANN ,  MAURI DANIELE

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/012 ,  G11B5/31 ,  G11B5/33 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01F10/00 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01F41/18 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve magnetic characteristics, macro magnetoresistance characteristics and heat stability with respect to a spin valve sensor. SOLUTION: In a spin valve sensor 300, a three-ply seed layer structure 302 is disposed between a 1st reproduction gap layer 216 and a ferromagnetic free layer 202. Nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) is preferably used for an antiferromagnetic pinning layer 214. The three-ply seed layer structure 302 has a 1st seed layer 304 comprising a 1st metal oxide, a 2nd seed layer 306 comprising a 2nd metal oxide and a 3rd seed layer 308 comprising a nonmagnetic metal. Preferably the 1st seed layer 304 comprises nickel oxide (NiO), the 2nd seed layer 306 comprises nickel manganese oxide (NiMnOX) and the 3rd seed layer 308 comprises copper (Cu).

公开(公告)号：BR9502918A

公开(公告)日：1996-02-27

申请号：BR9502918

申请日：1995-06-23

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FONTANA ROBERT EDWARD ,  LIN TSANN

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  G11C11/15 ,  H01L43/10 ,  G11B5/127

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved spin valve (SV) magnetoresistive sensor, which has its free ferromagnetic layer in the form of a central active region with defined edges and has a separate layer providing end regions that are contiguous with and abut the edges of the central active region. A layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably a nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) alloy, is formed on and in contact with the ferromagnetic material in the end regions for exchange coupling with the end regions to provide them with a longitudinal bias of their magnetizations. The pinned ferromagnetic layer in the SV sensor is pinned by exchange coupling with a different layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably an iron-manganese (Fe-Mn) alloy. This material has a substantially different Neel temperature from that of the antiferromagnetic material on the end regions. The process for making the SV sensor includes heating to different predetermined temperatures in the presence of an applied magnetic field to orient the magnetizations of the free and pinned layers in the proper direction. The SV sensor may be used for reading data in magnetic recording systems.

公开(公告)号：DE69316099D1

公开(公告)日：1998-02-12

申请号：DE69316099

申请日：1993-05-21

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： LIN TSANN ,  HOWARD JAMES KENT ,  HWANG CHERNGYE ,  MAURI DANIELE ,  STAUD NORBERT

IPC: G11B5/39 ,  G01R33/06

公开(公告)号：SG32343A1

公开(公告)日：1996-08-13

申请号：SG1995000354

申请日：1995-04-28

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： TSANG CHING HWA ,  FONTANA ROBERT EDWARD ,  LIN TSANN

IPC: G11B5/39

公开(公告)号：DE69611326T2

公开(公告)日：2001-05-31

申请号：DE69611326

申请日：1996-06-13

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FONTANA JR ,  GURNEY BRUCE ALVIN ,  LIN TSANN ,  SPERIOSU VIRGIL SIMON ,  TSANG CHING HWA ,  WILHOIT DENNIS RICHARD

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01L43/10

Abstract: A spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor uses a laminated antiparallel (AP) pinned layer 70 in combination with an improved antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange biasing layer 57. The pinned layer comprises two ferromagnetic films 72, 74 separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film 73 such that the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic films are strongly coupled together antiferromagnetically in an antiparallel orientation. This laminated AP pinned layer is magnetically rigid in the small field excitations required to rotate the SVMR sensor's free layer. When the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic layers in this AP pinned layer are nearly the same, the net magnetic moment of the pinned layer is small. However, the exchange field is correspondingly large because it is inversely proportional to the net magnetic moment. The laminated AP pinned layer has its magnetization fixed or pinned by an AF material that is highly corrosion resistant but that has an exchange anisotropy too low to be usable in conventional SVMR sensors. In the preferred embodiment the AF layer is nickel-oxide and is formed on one of the magnetoresistive (MR) shields that serves as the substrate 45. Thus the AF material also serves as the insulating MR gap material. The location of the AF layer and the laminated AP-pinned layer to which it is exchange coupled on the bottom of the SVMR sensor allows for improved longitudinal biasing of the free layer when the SVMR sensor is fabricated.

公开(公告)号：DE69611326D1

公开(公告)日：2001-02-01

申请号：DE69611326

申请日：1996-06-13

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FONTANA JR ,  GURNEY BRUCE ALVIN ,  LIN TSANN ,  SPERIOSU VIRGIL SIMON ,  TSANG CHING HWA ,  WILHOIT DENNIS RICHARD

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01L43/10

Abstract: A spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor uses a laminated antiparallel (AP) pinned layer 70 in combination with an improved antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange biasing layer 57. The pinned layer comprises two ferromagnetic films 72, 74 separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film 73 such that the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic films are strongly coupled together antiferromagnetically in an antiparallel orientation. This laminated AP pinned layer is magnetically rigid in the small field excitations required to rotate the SVMR sensor's free layer. When the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic layers in this AP pinned layer are nearly the same, the net magnetic moment of the pinned layer is small. However, the exchange field is correspondingly large because it is inversely proportional to the net magnetic moment. The laminated AP pinned layer has its magnetization fixed or pinned by an AF material that is highly corrosion resistant but that has an exchange anisotropy too low to be usable in conventional SVMR sensors. In the preferred embodiment the AF layer is nickel-oxide and is formed on one of the magnetoresistive (MR) shields that serves as the substrate 45. Thus the AF material also serves as the insulating MR gap material. The location of the AF layer and the laminated AP-pinned layer to which it is exchange coupled on the bottom of the SVMR sensor allows for improved longitudinal biasing of the free layer when the SVMR sensor is fabricated.

公开(公告)号：SG44386A1

公开(公告)日：1997-12-19

申请号：SG1996000075

申请日：1993-05-21

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： LIN TSANN ,  HOWARD JAMES KENT ,  HWANG CHERNGYE ,  MAURI DANIELE ,  STAUD NORBERT

IPC: G11B5/39 ,  G01R33/06

公开(公告)号：SG46731A1

公开(公告)日：1998-02-20

申请号：SG1996009674

申请日：1996-05-02

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FONTANA ROBERT EDWARD JR ,  GURNEY BRUCE ALVIN ,  LIN TSANN ,  SPERIOSU VIRGIL SIMON ,  TSANG CHING HWA ,  WILHOIT DENNIS RICHARD

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01L43/10 ,  H01L27/20 ,  G11C11/16

Abstract: A spin valve magnetoresistive (SVMR) sensor uses a laminated antiparallel (AP) pinned layer 70 in combination with an improved antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange biasing layer 57. The pinned layer comprises two ferromagnetic films 72, 74 separated by a nonmagnetic coupling film 73 such that the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic films are strongly coupled together antiferromagnetically in an antiparallel orientation. This laminated AP pinned layer is magnetically rigid in the small field excitations required to rotate the SVMR sensor's free layer. When the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic layers in this AP pinned layer are nearly the same, the net magnetic moment of the pinned layer is small. However, the exchange field is correspondingly large because it is inversely proportional to the net magnetic moment. The laminated AP pinned layer has its magnetization fixed or pinned by an AF material that is highly corrosion resistant but that has an exchange anisotropy too low to be usable in conventional SVMR sensors. In the preferred embodiment the AF layer is nickel-oxide and is formed on one of the magnetoresistive (MR) shields that serves as the substrate 45. Thus the AF material also serves as the insulating MR gap material. The location of the AF layer and the laminated AP-pinned layer to which it is exchange coupled on the bottom of the SVMR sensor allows for improved longitudinal biasing of the free layer when the SVMR sensor is fabricated.

公开(公告)号：CA2148964A1

公开(公告)日：1996-01-27

申请号：CA2148964

申请日：1995-05-09

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FONTANA ROBERT EDWARD ,  LIN TSANN ,  TSANG CHING HWA

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  G11C11/15 ,  H01L43/10 ,  G11B5/02 ,  G01R33/02

Abstract: An improved spin valve (SV) magnetoresistive element has its free ferromagnetic layer in the form of a central active region with defined edges and end regions that are contiguous with and abut the edges of the central active region. A layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably a nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) alloy, is formed on and in contact with the ferromagnetic material in the end regions for exchange coupling with the end regions to provide them with a longitudinal bias of their magnetizations. The pinned ferromagnetic layer in the SV element is pinned by exchange coupling with a different layer of antiferromagnetic material, preferably an iron-manganese (Fe-Mn) alloy. This material has a substantially different Neel temperature from that of the antiferromagnetic material on the end regions. The process for making the SV element includes heating to different predetermined temperatures in the presence of an applied magnetic field to orient the magnetizations of the free and pinned layers in the proper direction. The SV element may be used as a sensor for reading data in magnetic recording systems.