Magnetoresistive transducer with soft magnetic cobalt-iron alloy layer

摘要

A magnetoresistive transducer has a multilayer (30a) of either (a) a sequence of a first soft magnetic layer (13), a non-magnetic layer (14), a second soft magnetic layer (15) and an anti-ferromagnetic layer (16); or (b) alternate soft magnetic and non-magnetic layers. The first soft magnetic layer (13) of (a) and the soft magnetic layer of (b) include a layer (13a) of (CoyFe100-y)100-xZx alloy (Z = element other than Co and Fe; x and y are atomic percentages) and which has a fcc lattice structure with a 'd' spacing less than that of a CoyFe100-y alloy. A pair of electrodes (18a, b) is provided on the multilayer (30a) to permit passage of a scanning current through the multilayer (30a). Also claimed are magnetic read/write drives comprising a magnetic recording medium and the magnetoresistive transducer. Further claimed is a process for forming a magnetic film by (i) either forming a base layer (12) on a substrate (11) and then forming a Ni-Fe alloy layer (13b) on the base layer or sequentially laminating an antiferromagnetic layer (16), a soft magnetic layer (15) and a non-magnetic layer (14) on a substrate (11); and (ii) sputter depositing a layer (13a) of (CoyFe100-y)100-xZx alloy (Z = B or C; x and y are atomic percentages).