CPP-GMR SENSOR PROVIDED WITH UNORTHOGONAL FREE LAYER AND REFERENCE LAYER MAGNETIZATION ORIENTATION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a CPP-GMR (current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance) sensor structure in which the magnetization orientations of a free layer and a reference layer are not orthogonal. SOLUTION: A ferromagnetic free layer 722 has bias point magnetization oriented nominally in the flat surface of a film in a first direction of an angleθfbwith respect to a longitudinal axis defined as an intersection of a deposition flat surface of the free layer and an ABS flat surface. A ferromagnetic reference layer 716 has a bias point magnetization oriented nominally in the flat surface of the film in a second direction of an angleθrbwith respect to the longitudinal direction unperpendicular to the first direction. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT