Magnetic sensor stack body, method of forming the same, film formation control program, and recording medium

摘要

The present invention is directed to align crystal c-axes in magnetic layers near two opposed junction wall faces of a magnetoresistive element so as to be almost perpendicular to the junction wall faces. A magnetic sensor stack body has, on a substrate, a magnetoresistive element whose electric resistance fluctuates when a bias magnetic field is applied and, on sides of opposed junction wall faces of the magnetoresistive element, field regions including magnetic layers for applying the bias magnetic field to the element. The magnetoresistive element has at least a ferromagnetic stack on a part of an antiferromagnetic layer, and width of an uppermost face of the ferromagnetic stack along a direction in which the junction wall faces are opposed to each other is smaller than width of an uppermost face of the antiferromagnetic layer in the same direction.

主权项

1. A magnetic sensor stack body comprising, on a substrate, a magnetoresistive element whose electric resistance fluctuates when a bias magnetic field is applied and, on sides of opposed junction wall faces of the magnetoresistive element, field regions including a magnetic layer for applying the bias magnetic field to the element,
wherein the magnetoresistive element has at least a ferromagnetic stack on a part of an antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the ferromagnetic stack and the antiferromagnetic layer are stacked so as to form a stepwise form at both ends adjacent to opposed junction wall faces by forming the width of an uppermost face and a lowermost face of the ferromagnetic stack smaller than the width of an uppermost face of the antiferromagnetic layer, all widths being defined by the opposed junction wall faces, and wherein the lowermost face of the ferromagnetic stack is a face that comes in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer.