METHOD FOR FORMING MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT FILM

摘要

A method for forming a magnetoresistance effect film, enabling manufacture of a magnetoresistive device having a high MR ratio by improving the flatness of the interfaces between layers without deteriorating the crystallinity of a multilayer film. The method for forming a magnetoresistance effect film including a free magnetization layer, a nonmagnetic layer, a fixed magnetization layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer on a predetermined substrate in order of mention or in the reverse order is characterized by comprising at least the step of disposing the substrate in a film-forming chamber, lowering the ultimate degree of vacuum in the film-forming chamber below 10<-10> Torr, introducing at least an oxygen-containing gas (a) into the film-forming chamber, changing the degree of vacuum in the film-forming chamber to a constant pressure in a range from 3x10<-9> Torr to 1x10<-8> Torr, introducing a gas (b) consisting of Ar, and sputtering a predetermined target using a mixture of the gases (a, b), so as to form the free magnetization layer under the nonmagnetic layer or forming both the fixed magnetization layer and the nonmagnetic layer.