MAGNETIC SPIN VALVE HEAD AND METHOD FOR FORMING SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic spin valve head having a good magnetic resistance ratio and such soft magnetic characteristics as a small coercive force Hc and a small anisotropic magnetic field Hk and a method for forming the head. SOLUTION: When a spin valve sensor laminated body in which a ferromagnetic free layer 34 comprises only NiFe is formed, a seed layer 32 comprising NiFeCr or NiCr is formed on a substrate 30, the ferromagnetic free layer 34 comprising NiFe is formed on the seed layer 32 and a space layer 36 of a nonmagnetic metal (copper) is formed on the free layer 34. A ferromagnetic magnetization direction pinned layer 38 comprising CoFe is formed on the spacer layer 36 and an antiferromagnetic magnetization direction pinning layer 40 comprising MnPt is formed on the pinned layer 38. A protective layer 42 is then formed on the pinning layer 40 by using the same material (NiFeCr or NiCr) as the material of the seed layer 32.