MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF MAGNETORESISTIVE EFFECT ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing apparatus of a magnetoresistive effect element, capable of preventing degradation of a magnetic characteristic of a multilayer magnetic film having a damage layer, and manufacturing a high-quality magnetoresistive effect element. SOLUTION: In this manufacturing apparatus of a magnetoresistive effect element provided with: a reactive ion etching chamber; a radical treatment chamber; and a vacuum transport chamber having a transport means capable of transporting a substrate between the reactive ion etching chamber and the radical treatment chamber, a first process of carrying a magnetoresistive effect element having a magnetic film and a substrate in the reactive ion etching chamber by the transport means is executed in the vacuum transport chamber; a second process 101, 102 of etching a predetermined region of the magnetic film in the presence of hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms activated by plasma by a reactive ion etching method is executed in the reactive ion etching chamber; and a third process 103 of exposing the magnetic film after the second process to plasma having ion current density ≤4×10-7A/cm2is executed in the radical treatment chamber. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT