Patent ID: 7130164

Claim:
A magnetoresistance effect element comprising: a magnetoresistance effect film including a magnetically pinned layer whose direction of magnetization is pinned substantially in one direction, a magnetically free layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field, and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the pinned layer and the free layer, the nonmagnetic intermediate layer having a first layer including a first region whose resistance is relatively high and second regions whose resistance is relatively low and configured to have a sense current preferentially flow through the second regions when the sense current passes the first layer; and a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply the sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of the magnetoresistance effect film, wherein an ohmic characteristic independent of the magnitude of the sense current is obtained when the sense current passes the first layer, the first region includes a first element except oxygen, the second region includes a second element except oxygen, the second element being different from the first element, and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer further has a second layer made of a non-magnetic metal.