A magnetoresistance element (e.g. a spin valve) for detecting a changing magnetic field includes a pinning layer, pinned layer adjacent to the pinning layer, a spacer layer adjacent to the pinned layer, and a free layer adjacent to the spacer layer and arranged so that the spacer layer is between the pinned layer and the free layer. The pinned layer has a bias with a bias direction configured to reduce an effect of a static field on the detection of the changing magnetic field.

An object of the present invention is to provide a Magneto-Resistance (MR) element showing a high Magneto-Resistance (MR) ratio and having a suitable Resistance-Area (RA) for device applications. The MR element of the present invention has a laminated structure including a first ferromagnetic layer 16, a non-magnetic layer 18, and a second ferromagnetic layer 20 on a substrate 10, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer 16 includes a Heusler alloy, the second ferromagnetic layer 20 includes a Heusler alloy, the non-magnetic layer 18 includes a I-III-VI.sub.2 chalcopyrite-type compound semiconductor, and the non-magnetic layer 18 has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 nm, and wherein the MR element shows a Magneto-Resistance (MR) change of 40% or more, and has a resistance-area (RA) of 0.1 [m.sup.2] or more and 3 [m.sup.2] or less.

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 apparatus is provided which comprises: a ferromagnetic (FM) region with magnetostrictive (MS) property; a piezo-electric (PZe) region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region adjacent to the FM region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region, wherein the FM region is at least partially adjacent to the magnetoelectric region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; a magnetoelectric region being adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a first electrode adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a second electrode adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; a spin orbit coupling (SOC) region adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; and a third electrode adjacent to the SOC region.

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.

A synthetic antiferromagnetic structure for a spintronic device is disclosed and has an FL2/Co or Co alloy/antiferromagnetic coupling/Co or Co alloy/CoFeB configuration where FL2 is a ferromagnetic free layer with intrinsic PMA. Antiferromagnetic coupling is improved by inserting a Co or Co alloy dusting layer on top and bottom surfaces of the antiferromagnetic coupling layer. The FL2 layer may be a L10 ordered alloy, a rare earth-transition metal alloy, or an (A1/A2).sub.n laminate where A1 is one of Co, CoFe, or an alloy thereof, and A2 is one of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Mg, Mo, Os, Si, V, Ni, NiCo, and NiFe, or A1 is Fe and A2 is V. A method is also provided for forming the synthetic antiferromagnetic structure.

Disclosed is a perpendicularly magnetized film structure using a highly heat resistant underlayer film on which a cubic or tetragonal perpendicularly magnetized film can grow, comprising a substrate of a cubic single crystal substrate having a (001) plane or a substrate having a cubic oriented film that grows to have the (001) plane; an underlayer formed on the substrate from a thin film of a metal having an hcp structure in which the [0001] direction of the thin metal film forms an angle in the range of 42? to 54? with respect to the <001> direction or the (001) orientation of the substrate; and a perpendicularly magnetized layer located on the metal underlayer and formed from a cubic material selected from a Co-based Heusler alloy and a cobalt-iron (CoFe) alloy having a bcc structure a constituent material, and grown to have the (001) plane.

An exchange-coupled film 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 XMn sublayer (where X is Pt or Ir). The XMn sublayer is in contact with the pinned magnetic layer.

A two-dimensional optical scanning mirror device, a manufacturing method for the same, a two-dimensional optical scanning device and an image projector. A two-dimensional optical scanning mirror device includes a substrate, a movable mirror portion supported on the substrate in such a manner that two-dimension optical scanning is possible, a hard magnetic thin film provided in the movable mirror portion and a magnetic field generator that includes at least an alternating magnetic field generator for driving the movable mirror portion, where the hard magnetic thin film has a magnetization direction in a direction of a film plane, and the ratio of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator relative to the coercive force of the hard magnetic thin film is 0.2 or lower.

The present disclosure is directed to a spin current magnetization rotational element, a spin-orbit-torque magnetoresistance effect element, a magnetic memory, and a high-frequency magnetic element which can efficiently generate a pure spin current and reduce a reversal current density. The spin current magnetization rotational element includes: a spin-orbit torque wiring extending in a first direction; and a first ferromagnetic layer laminated in a second direction which intersects the first direction, wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes at least one rare gas element of Ar, Kr, and Xe.