Patent ID: 7663197

Claim:
A magnetoresistive element which records information by supplying spin-polarized electrons to a magnetic material, comprising: a first pinned layer which is made of a magnetic material and has a first magnetization directed in a direction perpendicular to a film surface; a free layer which is made of a magnetic material and has a second magnetization directed in the direction perpendicular to the film surface, the direction of the second magnetization reversing by the spin-polarized electrons; a first nonmagnetic layer which is provided between the first pinned layer and the free layer; a first magnetic metal layer which is provided between the first pinned layer and the first nonmagnetic layer and contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni; and a second magnetic metal layer which is provided between the free layer and the first nonmagnetic layer and contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni; wherein the first nonmagnetic layer essentially consists of MgO with a (001) plane being oriented, and at least one of the first magnetic metal layer and the second magnetic metal layer is made of a magnetic material selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, Co—Fe alloy, and Fe—Ni alloy having a bcc structure and a (001) plane oriented, and the magnetic material of at least one of the first pinned layer and the free layer comprises an L1 0 ordered alloy with a (001) plane being oriented.