Method for manufacturing magnetic disk apparatus

1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus using as a magnetoresistive-effect device a spin-valve-type magnetoresistive-effect film, comprising:

conveying a substrate into a first chamber and forming an antiferromagnetic layer in a vacuum atmosphere in the first chamber;

conveying the substrate into a second chamber and performing vacuum discharge in the second chamber at a degree of vacuum lower than that in the first chamber to form an antiferromagnetic reaction layer on the surface of the antiferromagnetic layer;

removing the substrate from the second chamber and in another chamber forming a ferromagnetic layer on the antiferromagnetic reaction layer; and

forming a magnetoresistive-effect film in which the antiferromagnetic reaction layer is between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer.

2. The method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the degree of vacuum in the first chamber is in the range from 1×10 −6 to 1 ×10 −8 Pa.

3. The method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is exposed to the vacuum atmosphere in the second chamber for a time period of 60 seconds or longer.

4. The method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein after the completion of the process in the second chamber, the substrate is again conveyed into the first chamber, and a film forming process of forming the ferromagnetic layer and other layers is thereafter performed.

5. The method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a helicon long-throw sputtering apparatus is used.

6. A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus using as a magnetoresistive-effect device a spin-valve-type magnetoresistive-effect film, the method comprising:

conveying a substrate into a first chamber and forming an antiferromagnetic layer in a vacuum atmosphere in the first chamber;

conveying the substrate into a second chamber and performing a surface treatment using a gas containing 1 ppm or higher of H 2 O or O 2 to form an antiferromagnetic reaction layer;

removing the substrate from the second chamber and in another chamber forming a ferromagnetic layer on the antiferromagnetic reaction layer; and

forming a magnetoresistive-effect film in which the antiferromagnetic reaction layer is between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer.

7. A method of manufacturing a magnetic disk apparatus using as a magnetoresistive-effect device a spin-valve-type magnetoresistive-effect film, the method comprising:

conveying a substrate into a first chamber and forming an antiferromagnetic layer in a vacuum atmosphere in the first chamber;

conveying the substrate into a second chamber and exposing the substrate to an atmosphere having one of an H 2 O concentration and an O 2 concentration higher than that in the first chamber to form an antiferromagnetic reaction layer;

removing the substrate from the second chamber and in another chamber forming a ferromagnetic layer on the antiferromagnetic reaction layer; and

forming a magnetoresistive-effect film in which the antiferromagnetic reaction layer is between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer.