CURRENT-PERPENDICULAR-TO-PLANE MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT SENSOR HAVING FREE LAYER STABILIZED TO VORTEX MAGNETIC DOMAIN GENERATED BY SENSE CURRENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a CPP (Current Perpendicular to Plane) magnetoresistance effect type sensor having a free layer in which magnetization is stabilized in a single longitudinal direction magnetic domain even under an existence of high-density sense current. SOLUTION: A CPP sensor 300 has a plurality of layer 301 added so that a free layer 210 may be stabilized to a magnetic field 330 generated by a sense current Is. A ferromagnetic stabilization layer 304 is combined in switched connection by a second antiferromagnetism layer 306 in such a manner that it is separated from the free layer 210 by a spacer layer 302. Since the stabilization layer 304 is combined in ferromagnetic connection with the free layer 210 in such a way that it exceeds the spacer layer 302, when the sense current or external magnetic field does not exist, the free layer and the stabilization layer have a vortex magnetization pattern same in profile, or other non-longitudinal direction magnetization patterns 310, 320. The sense current substantially eliminates an influence of the vortices magnetization pattern 320 in the free layer by generating a vortex magnetic field 330 opposite in direction to the vortex magnetization pattern 310 fixed inside the stabilization layer. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI