Patent ID: 6819533
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive head, provided with a magnetoresistive film being a multilayered film including: a pinned magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction is fixed; a free magnetic layer having magnetization whose direction changes in accordance with an external magnetic field; and a first nonmagnetic layer held by the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer in a layer thickness direction, and indicating a magnitude of resistance in accordance with an angle formed by the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer, for detecting the magnitude of resistance of the magnetoresistive film to detect a strength of said external magnetic field,said magnetoresistive head comprising: a second nonmagnetic layer disposed adjacent to the surface of said free magnetic layer on a side opposite to the surface of the free magnetic layer on a side of said first nonmagnetic layer; and a bias application layer, disposed to make direct contact with the surface of the second nonmagnetic layer on a side opposite to the surface of the second nonmagnetic layer on the side of said free magnetic layer, for applying, to the free magnetic layer, a bias magnetic field generated by a static interlayer coupling and directed in a direction opposite to the magnetization direction of said pinned magnetic layer, wherein the bias application layer comprises an antiferromagnetic material of an ordered form.