MR ratio enhancement by NOL current-confined-path structures in CPP spin valves

We have compared the magnetoresistance (MR) performance of current-confined-path (CCP) current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) spin valve films with a nano-oxide-layer (NOL), made between natural oxidation (NO) and ion-assisted oxidation (IAO). For the NO, an MR ratio was only 1.5% at an RA of 370 mOmegamum(2), whereas for the IAO, an MR ratio was greatly increased to 5.4% at an RA of 500 mOmegamum(2). Fitted data by the Valet-Fert model showing larger MR enhancement effect by the IAO is explained by the improvement of the metal-purity of the Cu inside the CCP structure. By further improvement of metal-purity of the Cu, a large MR ratio of more than 30% can be expected at a small RA of 300 mOmegamum(2). The CCP-CPP spin valve film is a promising candidate for realizing high-density recording heads for 200 to 400-Gbpsi recording.