Patent ID: 7375405

Claim:
A magnetoresistance effect element, comprising: a magnetoresistance effect film including, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and first and second ferromagnetic layers separated by the nonmagnetic spacer layer, a magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer being at an angle relative to a magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer at zero applied magnetic field, the second ferromagnetic layer comprising first and second ferromagnetic films antiferromagnetically coupled to one another and an antiferromagnetically coupling film located between and in contact with the first and second ferromagnetic films for coupling the first and second ferromagnetic films together antiferromagnetically so that their magnetizations are aligned antiparallel with one another and remain antiparallel in the presence of an applied magnetic field, the magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer freely rotating in a magnetic field signal; a pair of electrodes coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and having respective inner edges separated by a first distance; and a pair of longitudinal biasing layers for providing bias magnetic fields to the first ferromagnetic layer in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the first ferromagnetic layer and having respective inner edges separated by a second distance greater than said first distance, said inner edges of the pair of electrodes being disposed between the inner edges of the pair of longitudinal biasing layers.