公开(公告)号：JPH03242983A

公开(公告)日：1991-10-29

申请号：JP32341490

申请日：1990-11-28

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： ROBAATO EDOWAADO FUONTANA JIYU ,  FURANSHISU AN HOORU ,  CHIN HOWA SAN

IPC: G01R33/09 ,  G11B5/39 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01F41/22 ,  H01F41/30 ,  H01F41/34 ,  H01L43/12

Abstract: PURPOSE: To enable partial change of electric or magnetic characteristics (of a magnetic structure) by forming the layer-shaped structure, including the layer of magnetic material and an upper layer, and imparting the thermal energy, which is sufficient to perform interaction selectively between the materials of the upper layer and the lower layer which accompany the magnetic material layers to the magnetic structure. CONSTITUTION: A magnetoresistance(MR) sensor includes a soft magnetic bias layer 26, which is deposited on a lower layer 25 such as tantalum on a substrate 24. A spacer layer 28 is deposited to an active region 30 at the center of the MR sensor, and patterning is performed. Then, an MR layer 32 such as NiFe is deposited. Furthermore, for example, an upper layer 34 of tantalum is deposited only to the central region, and patterning is performed. Thereafter, the entire structure undergoes instantaneous thermal annealing, and the magnetic characteristics of an end region 36 are changed. Thus, the high-saturating coercive force in magnetization of the end region 36 is obtained. The end region 36 is aligned by applying a large longitudinal magnetic field from the outside, and the continuous magnetic flux is imparted between the central region 30 of the MR sensor and the end region 36. Thus, electric or magnetic characteristics of the magnetic structure can be partially changed.