Transducer utilizing giant magnetoresistance effect and having a ferromagnetic layer pinned in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a signal magnetic field

摘要

A magnetoresistive transducer showing a giant magnetoresistance effect has a multi-layer structure including first and second ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer. The second ferromagnetic layer has a magnetization pinned in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a signal magnetic field. An anti-ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer pins magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a signal magnetic field so that magnetizations of the first and second ferromagnetic layers have components perpendicular to the signal magnetic field and those components are anti-parallel to each other.