METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THIN-FILM MAGNETIC HEAD, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING MEMORY ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the thickness of a tunnel barrier layer without causing the characteristics of the layer to deteriorate. SOLUTION: A TMR element 3 has a free layer 11 formed on a lower gap layer 2, the tunnel barrier layer 12 formed on the layer 11, and a pinned layer 13 formed on the layer 12. In a step of forming the tunnel barrier layer 12 on the free layer 11, an Al layer used for the formation of the layer 12 is formed on the layer 11 through, for example, sputtering, and then, the layer 12 is formed by causing the Al layer to oxidize.