MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETO-RESISTANCE EFFECT TYPE HEAD, MEMORY ELEMENT, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEM

摘要

A magneto-resistance effect element, a magneto-resistance effect type head, a memory element which can provide large MR changes under smaller magnetic fields and a method for manufacturing them. The magneto-resistance effect element has a basic structure composed of a laminated body of a magnetic film, a nonmagnetic insulating film, and a magnetic film piled one upon another in this order and a conductive part which is sufficiently smaller in size than the contacting part between the nonmagnetic insulating film and the magnetic film is formed on the exposed part of the nonmagnetic insulating film so as to electrically connect the magnetic films to each other. In addition, electrode lead sections are provided on the upper and lower magnetic films. Alternatively, it is possible to form a cylindrical conductive part which is sufficiently made smaller in size than the contacting part between the nonmagnetic insulating film and the magnetic film in the nonmagnetic insulating film. The nonmagnetic insulating film is composed of the oxide or nitride of a conductor and the nitrogen or oxygen concentration in the conductive part can be made lower than that in the nonmagnetic insulating film. Moreover, the basic structure of the element can be constituted of a laminated body of a reversal-of-magnetization suppressing film, a magnetic film, a nonmagnetic insulating film, and a magnetic film by providing the reversal-of-magnetization suppressing film on the surface of one magnetic film so as to suppress the reversal of magnetization of the magnetic film.