MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT, ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD, THIN FILM MAGNETIC HEAD, HEAD GIMBAL ASSEMBLY, HEAD ARM ASSEMBLY, AND MAGNETIC DISK DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To raise an MR ratio in an MR element where an electric current is made to flow in a direction to be crossed with the surface of each layer constituting the MR element. SOLUTION: The fixing layer 23 of the MR element 5 includes: a front-end magnetic layer 331 composed of a magnetic alloy layer with a body-centered cubic structure, and a Heusler alloy layer 332 formed on the front-end magnetic layer 331. The free layer 25 of the MR element 5 includes: a front-end magnetic layer 51 composed of the magnetic alloy layer with the body-centered cubic structure, and a Heusler alloy layer 52 formed on the front-end magnetic layer 51. Both the Heusler alloy layers 332, 52 are composed of a CoMnSi alloy with the content rate of Mn larger than 25 atm% and not more than 40 atm%, including a main component with a B2 structure where a Co atom is arranged at the body-centered position of a unit grid and Mn atoms or Si atoms are irregularly arranged at the vertex positions of the unit grid. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT