Patent ID: 6201669
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive element comprising:a laminated body including an element in which electric resistance is varied in response to changes in an external magnetic field and both side areas located at both sides of the laminated body, said element reproducing recorded information;an insulation layer formed under said laminated body; anda first lead layer to impart a recording current to said element formed on both sides of the insulation layer, a top face of said laminated body being formed on the same plane as a top face of said both side areas,wherein the laminated body comprises an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer formed in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, a magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer being fixed by an exchange anisotropic magnetic field with said antiferromagnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer formed one of over and under said pinned magnetic layer via a non-magnetic conductive layer, a magnetization of the free magnetic layer being aligned by a bias magnetic field from a bias layer to cross with the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.