MAGNETISM-SENSITIVE ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME, MAGNETIC HEAD, ENCODER AND MAGNETIC STORAGE UNIT USING IT

摘要

A magnetism-sensitive element in which an insulation film sandwiched by two ferromagnetic films at a ferromagnetic tunnel junction is formed of an aluminum nitride film and a barrier at the ferromagnetic tunnel junction is set not higher than 0.4 eV. The aluminum nitride film is formed by nitriding an aluminum film, in particular, by touching the aluminum film to atomic nitrogen N<*> and causing nitriding reaction. A high sensitivity magnetism-sensitive element having a ferromagnetic tunnel junction where the variation rate of tunnel reluctance is high and the tunnel resistance is low is thereby obtained.