Patent ID: 7054115

Claim:
A spin-valve thin-film magnetic element comprising: a substrate; an antiferromagnetic layer; a pinned magnetic layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, the magnetization vector of the pinned magnetic layer being pinned by an exchange coupling magnetic field between the antiferromagnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer; a nonmagnetic conductive layer in contact with the pinned magnetic layer; a free magnetic layer in contact with the nonmagnetic conductive layer; an exchange bias layer for magnetizing the free magnetic layer so that the magnetization vector of the free magnetic layer is substantially orthogonal to the magnetization vector of the pinned magnetic layer; a pair of electrode layers for supplying a sensing current to the pinned magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic conductive layer, and the free magnetic layer; and a mean-free-path-extending layer provided between the free magnetic layer and the exchange bias layer for controlling the magnitude of an exchange coupling magnetic field between the free magnetic layer and the exchange bias layer and for extending the mean free path of conduction electrons, wherein the mean-free-path-extending layer is positioned on a side of the free magnetic layer remote from the pinned magnetic layer.