Patent ID: 6191577
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive sensor comprising:two multilayered magnetoresistive films arranged in parallel and adjacent to each other on a substrate, each multilayered magnetoresistive film containing a pinned ferromagnetic layer and a free magnetic layer, reversion of magnetization of said pinned ferromagnetic layer being pinned, and a vector of magnetization of said free ferromagnetic layer freely reversing in response to an external magnetic field;a hard magnetic layer provided under one of said multilayered magnetoresistive films; anda conductor connecting the multilayered magnetoresistive films in series and provided with terminals disposed at ends thereof;whereinthe vectors of magnetization of the pinned ferromagnetic layers in the two adjacent multilayered magnetoresistive films are substantially antiparallel to each other along an axis of current flow of the conductor; anda coercive force of the pinned ferromagnetic layer of the multilayered magnetoresistive film provided with said hard magnetic layer is higher than a coercive force of the pinned ferromagnetic layer of the adjacent multilayered magnetoresistive film.