Patent ID: 6861940
Filing Date: 2005-03-01
Classification: B82Y,G01R,H01F,H01L

Abstract:
1. A magnetoresistive element comprising: a multilayer structure comprising a non-magnetic layer and a pair of ferromagnetic layers stacked on both sides of the non-magnetic layer, wherein a resistance value differs depending on a relative angle between magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers at interfaces with the non-magnetic layer, and a composition of at least one of the ferromagnetic layers in a range of 2 nm from the interface with the non-magnetic layer is expressed by  where Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements other than Z and O and includes a ferromagnetic metal, and x, y, and z satisfy