Method of producing exchange coupling film and method of producing magnetoresistive sensor by using exchange coupling film

1. A method of producing an exchange coupling film comprising an antiferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer, and a seed layer comprising a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal, which seed layer contacts said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween on a side opposite to said ferromagnetic layer, said method comprising:

forming said ferromagnetic layer such that said ferromagnetic layer contacts said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween;

forming said seed layer such that said (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal is preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to said interface between said seed layer and said antiferromagnetic layer, thereby creating a difference lattice constant between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer at at-least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer; and

heat treating the so formed ferromagnetic layer, antiferromagnetic layer, and seed layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said ferromagnetic layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a non-aligned state is created at at least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antiferromagnetic layer comprises an element X and Mn, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, Os, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antiferromagnetic layer comprises an element X, an element X′ and Mn, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, Os, and combinations thereof, and X′ is selected from the group consisting of Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Be, B, C, N, Mg, Al, Si, P, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Au, Pb, a rare earth element, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said element X′ of said antiferromagnetic layer is futher selected from the subgroup of the group listed in claim 7 , the subgroup consisting of an element which invades interstices of a space lattice composed of said element X and said Mn, and an element which substitutes for a portion of lattice points of a crystalline lattice constituted by said Mn and said element X.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antiferromagnetic layer and said ferromagnetic layer have different lattice constants at at least a part of said interface therebetween.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a non-aligned state is created at at least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said ferromagnetic layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said seed layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of a Ni—Fe alloy and a Ni—Fe—Y alloy, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of Cr, Rh, Ta, Hf, Nb, Zr, Ti, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said seed layer is non-magnetic.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said exchange coupling film further comprises an underlying layer, which comprises an element selected from the group consisting of Ta, Hf, Nb, Zr, Ti, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, and wherein said seed layer is adjacent to said underlying layer.

11. A method of producing a magnetoresistive sensor, the method comprising:

forming an antiferromagnetic layer;

forming a seed layer, such that a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal of said seed layer is oriented in a direction parallel to an interface between said seed layer and said antiferromacinetic layer, thereby creating a difference in lattice constant between said antiferromacinetic layer and said seed layer at at least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer; and

forming a pinned magnetic layer contacting said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween;

heat treating the so formed pinned magnetic layer, antiferromagnetic layer, and seed layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said pinned magnetic layer.

forming a non-magnetic intermediate layer between said pinned magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer; and

forming a bias layer which aligns a direction of magnetization of said free magnetic layer in a direction that intersects said direction of magnetization of said pinned magnetic layer.

12. A method of producing a magnetoresistive sensor, the method comprising:

forming an antiferromagnetic layer, a seed layer contacting said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween, a pinned magnetic layer contacting said antiferromagnetic layer at an interface therebetween which has a direction of magnetization fixed by an exchange anisotropic magnetic field with said antiferromagnetic layer;

forming a free magnetic layer having an upper side and a lower side; forming a non-magnetic intermediate layer between said pinned magnetic layer and said free magnetic layer;

forming an antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer formed on either said upper side or said lower side of said free magnetic layer, said antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer comprising a plurality of portions spaced from each other in a track width direction,

wherein a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal of said non-magnetic layer is oriented in a direction parallel to an interface between said free magnetic layer and said non-magnetic layer, thereby creating a difference in lattice constant between said non-magnetic layer and said free magnetic layer at at least a part of said interface between said non-magnetic layer and said free magnetic layer; and

heat treating the so formed free magnetic layer, antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer, and non-magnetic layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at said interface between with said antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer and said free magnetic layer.

13. A method of producing a magnetoresistive sensor, the method comprising;

forming a seed layer; a first antiferromagnetic layer overlying said seed layer; a first pinned magnetic layer overlying said first antiferromagnetic layer;

forming a first non-magnetic layer overlying said first pinned magnetic layer; a free magnetic layer overlying said first non-magnetic layer, said free magnetic layer having an upper side and a lower side;

forming a second non-magnetic layer overlying said free magnetic layer; a second pinned magnetic layer overlying said second non-magnetic layer; and a second antiferromagnetic layer overlying said second pinned magnetic layer,

wherein a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal of at least one of said seed layer and said second non-magnetic layer is oriented in a direction parallel to an interface between at least one of said first antiferromagnetic layer and said first pinned layer and said second pinned layer and second antiferromagnetic layer, thereby creating a difference in lattice constant between at least one of said first antiferromagnetic layer and said first pinned layer, and said second pinned layer and second antiferromagnetic layer at at least a part of at least one of said interface between said first antiferromagnetic layer and said first pinned layer and said second pinned layer and second antiferromagnetic layer; and

heat treating at least one of the so formed said first pinned layer, first antiferromagnetic layer, and seed layer, and said second antiferromagnetic layer, second pinned layer, and second non-magnetic layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at at least one of said interface between with said first antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer and said first pinned magnetic layer, and said second antiferromagnetic layer and second pinned layer; and

forming a bias layer which aligns a direction of magnetization of said free magnetic layer to a direction that intersects said directions of said first and said second pinned magnetic layers.

14. A method of producing a magnetoresistive sensor, the method comprising:

forming a magnetoresistive layer having an upper side and a lower side and a soft magnetic layer, said magnetoresistive layer and said soft magnetic layer being superposed through the intermediacy of a non-magnetic layer;

forming an antiferromagnetic layer on said upper side or said lower side of said magnetoresistive layer, said antiferromagnetic layer comprising a plurality of portions spaced apart in a track width direction; and

forming a seed layer contacting said antiferromagnetic layer, such that a (111) plane of face-centered cubic crystal of said seed layer is oriented in a direction parallel to an interface between said seed layer and said antiferromagnetic layer, thereby creating a difference in lattice constant between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer at at least a part of said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said seed layer; and

heat treating the so formed magnetoresistive layer, antiferromagnetic layer, and seed layer composite structure such that an exchange coupling magnetic field is developed at said interface between said antiferromagnetic layer and said magnetoresistive layer.