A magnetic memory device includes a reference magnetic structure, a free magnetic structure, and a tunnel barrier pattern between the reference magnetic structure and the free magnetic structure. The reference magnetic structure includes a first pinned pattern, a second pinned pattern between the first pinned pattern and the tunnel barrier pattern, and an exchange coupling pattern between the first and the second pinned pattern. The second pinned pattern includes a first magnetic pattern adjacent the exchange coupling pattern, a second magnetic pattern adjacent the tunnel barrier pattern, a third magnetic pattern between the first and the second magnetic pattern, a first non-magnetic pattern between the first and the third magnetic pattern, and a second non-magnetic pattern between the second and the third magnetic pattern. The first non-magnetic pattern has a different crystal structure from the second non-magnetic pattern, and at least a portion of the third magnetic pattern is amorphous.

Disclosed herein are layered Heusler alloys. The layered Heusler alloys can comprise a first layer comprising a first Heusler alloy with a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure and a second layer comprising a second Heusler alloy with a fcc crystal structure, the second Heusler alloy being different than the first Heusler alloy, wherein the first layer and the second layer are layered along a layering direction, the layering direction being the [110] or [111] direction of the fcc crystal structure, thereby forming the layered Heusler alloy.

Disclosed herein are layered Heusler alloys. The layered Heusler alloys can comprise a first layer comprising a first Heusler alloy with a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure and a second layer comprising a second Heusler alloy with a fcc crystal structure, the second Heusler alloy being different than the first Heusler alloy, wherein the first layer and the second layer are layered along a layering direction, the layering direction being the [110] or [111] direction of the fcc crystal structure, thereby forming the layered Heusler alloy.

A rare-earth magnet is an R-T-B-based rare-earth magnet containing a rare-earth element R, a transition metal element T, and boron B. The rare-earth magnet further contains Cu and Co, while having a Cu concentration distribution with a gradient along a direction from a surface of the rare-earth magnet to the inside thereof, Cu having a higher concentration on the surface side of the rare-earth magnet than on the inside thereof, and a Co concentration distribution with a gradient along a direction from the surface of the rare-earth magnet to the inside thereof, Co having a higher concentration on the surface side of the rare-earth magnet than on the inside thereof. The rare-earth magnet is excellent in corrosion resistance.

Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide a flat perpendicular magnetic layer having a low saturation magnetization and a perpendicular magnetization-type tunnel magnetoresistive element using the same. The perpendicular magnetic layer is a nitrogen-poor (Mn.sub.1xGa.sub.x)N.sub.y layer (0<x0.5 and 0<y<0.1) formed by providing nitrogen (N) into a MnGa alloy while adjusting a nitrogen amount. The perpendicular magnetic layer can be formed flat.

Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide a flat perpendicular magnetic layer having a low saturation magnetization and a perpendicular magnetization-type tunnel magnetoresistive element using the same. The perpendicular magnetic layer is a nitrogen-poor (Mn.sub.1xGa.sub.x)N.sub.y layer (0<x0.5 and 0<y<0.1) formed by providing nitrogen (N) into a MnGa alloy while adjusting a nitrogen amount. The perpendicular magnetic layer can be formed flat.

A magnetic stack includes a first element including a ferromagnetic layer; a second element including a metal layer able to confer on the assembly formed by the first and the second elements a magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the layers. The first element further includes a refractory metal material, the second element being arranged on the first element.

Disclosed herein are magnetic materials comprising rare earth nitrides and, more particularly, magnetic materials comprising multilayer-structured materials comprising one relatively soft and one relatively hard magnetic layer. The magnetic materials comprise a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a blocking layer between and in contact with each of the first 5 and second ferromagnetic layers. The first and second ferromagnetic layers have different coercive fields. The first ferromagnetic layer comprises a first rare earth nitride material and the second ferromagnetic layer comprises a second rare earth nitride material. Also disclosed are methods for preparing the materials. The materials are useful in the fabrication of devices, such as GMR magnetic field sensors, MRAM devices, TMR magnetic field sensors, and magnetic 10 tunnel junctions.

A method includes: a first film formation process forming a film by sputtering a first insulator target when a projection plane of the first insulator target on a plane including a front face of a substrate is in a first state; and a second film formation process forming a film by sputtering a second insulator target when a projection plane of the second insulator target formed on the plane including the front face of the substrate is in a second state different from the first state. The second film formation process provides the insulating film having a second characteristic variation having opposite tendency to a first characteristic variation in the film provided by the first film formation process, the first characteristic variation occurring from a center portion to a peripheral portion of the substrate, the second characteristic variation occurring at least partly from the center portion to the peripheral portion.

An exchange-coupled film according to the present invention includes an antiferromagnetic layer, pinned magnetic layer, and free magnetic layer which are stacked. The antiferromagnetic layer is composed of a PtCr sublayer and an X-Mn sublayer (where X is Pt or Ir). The X-Mn sublayer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer. The PtCr sublayer has a composition represented by the formula Pt.sub.Cr.sub.100at %- ( is 44 at % to 58 at %) when the XMn sublayer is placed on the PtCr sublayer or has a composition represented by the formula Pt.sub.Cr.sub.100 at %- ( is 44 at % to 57 at %) when the XMn sublayer is placed on the pinned magnetic layer.