Manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of magnetoresistance elements

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a magnetoresistance element having a pinned magnetic layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a free magnetic layer, the method includes forming at least one thin film of the non-magnetic intermediate layer and the free magnetic layer at a pressure of 8.0×10 −3 Pa or less in the vicinity of a substrate using a sputtering apparatus. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber in which a cathode and a substrate holder are arranged, a first exhausting apparatus connected to an exhausting port of the vacuum chamber, a gas introduction mechanism to introduce a gas toward the target, a first pressure regulator to cause a pressure difference between a target space and a center space outside the target space, a second pressure regulator to cause a pressure difference between the center space and a substrate space, and a second exhausting apparatus to exhaust the center space.

1 . A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistance element comprised of a pinned magnetic layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a free magnetic layer, the method comprising forming with a sputtering apparatus at least one thin film of said non-magnetic intermediate layer and said free magnetic layer at a pressure of 8.0×10 −3  Pa or less in the vicinity of a substrate. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said sputtering apparatus comprises:
 a chamber,   a cathode configured and positioned in said chamber to hold a target for forming at least one thin film of said non-magnetic intermediate layer and said free magnetic layer,   a substrate holder configured and positioned in said chamber to hold the substrate,   a gas introduction mechanism to introduce a gas to a target space in a vicinity of a surface of the target,   a first pressure regulator configured and positioned in said chamber to cause a pressure difference between said target space and a center space outside said target space,   a second exhausting apparatus configured to exhaust said center space and make said center space at a pressure lower than said target space,   a second pressure regulator configured and positioned in said chamber to cause a pressure difference between said center space and a substrate space in the vicinity of a surface of the substrate, and   a first exhausting apparatus configured to exhaust said substrate space and make the said substrate space at a pressure lower than said center space.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said first pressure regulator controls a flow of said gas flowing from said target space to said center space. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said first pressure regulator is a tapered cylinder member whose diameter is decreased toward the substrate and is arranged so as to surround said target. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said first pressure regulator is a cylinder member whose end at the substrate side is covered with a plate having at least one hole and is arranged so as to surround said target. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said second pressure regulator is a tapered cylinder member whose diameter is decreased toward the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said second pressure regulator is a partition member which has at least one hole and divides an inside of said vacuum chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said first and said second pressure regulators each includes a partition member which has at least one hole and divides the inside of said vacuum chamber.