Patent ID: 8031444

Claim:
A giant magnetoresistive device (CPP-GMR device) of a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a spacer layer, and two ferromagnetic layers stacked together and formed while said spacer layer is sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in the stacking direction, wherein: said two ferromagnetic layers function such that an angle made between directions of mutual magnetizations changes relatively in response to an external magnetic field, said spacer layer comprises first and second nonmagnetic metal layers, one each formed of a nonmagnetic metal material, and a semiconductor oxide layer interposed between the first and second nonmagnetic metal layers, and said semiconductor oxide layer forming a part of said spacer layer is zinc oxide of wurtzite structure, and said zinc oxide is doped with a dopant comprising at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of zinc or Zn, germanium or Ge, vanadium or V, and chromium or Cr in a content of 0.05 to 0.90 at %.