Patent ID: 7770284

Claim:
A manufacturing method of a magnetoresistive effect element in which current flows in a direction perpendicular to layer planes, comprising the steps of: forming on a lower electrode layer a magnetoresistive effect multi-layered film having a cap layer at a top thereof; forming a mask on said cap layer of said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered film; patterning said magnetoresistive effect multi-layered film by milling through said mask to form a magnetoresistive effect multi-layered structure; forming a magnetic domain control bias layer by using a lift off method using said mask; after forming said magnetic domain control bias layer, forming an additional cap layer on said cap layer and a part of said magnetic domain control bias layer; planarizing a top surface of said additional cap layer and said magnetic domain control bias layer; and forming an upper electrode layer on the planarized top surface.