Patent ID: 6344955
Filing Date: 2002-02-05
Classification: B82Y,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive element comprising a magnetic sensitive portion having a magnetic sensitive film formed out of a magnetic material responding to a magnetic field applied from the outside, and a magnetic domain control film which is formed out of a magnetic material and applies a bias magnetic field to said magnetic sensitive film in the longitudinal direction in which a sense current flows, wherein the magnetical thickness of the magnetic sensitive film given by the product of the remnant magnetization Br1 (gauss) of the material forming said magnetic sensitive film and its film thickness THx (&mgr;m) is x (gauss-&mgr;m), the magnetical thickness of the magnetic domain control film given by the product of the film thickness Thy (&mgr;m) of the material forming said magnetic domain control film and its remnant magnetization Br2 (gauss) is y (gauss-&mgr;m), and the minimum magnetical thickness of said magnetic domain control film determined in consideration of the minimum magnetic field Hmin required for operation, of a longitudinal bias magnetic field applied to said magnetic sensitive film is &agr; (gauss-&mgr;m), said magnetoresistive element satisfies:y>=âˆ’2x+&agr;.