Patent ID: 7098655

Claim:
An eddy-current sensor for nondestructive testing, comprising: a planar exciting coil of meander-type at least having a pair of current lines in parallel with each other through which exciting currents flow in opposite directions to each other during the testing, for generating an alternative magnetic field applied to a subject to be nondestructively tested by said exciting currents, and at least one spin-valve magnetoresistive element comprising a multilayered film laminated in parallel with a planar plane of said exciting coil, and positioned on a central axis between said pair of current lines and on the opposite side to said subject in relation to said exciting coil, for detecting a magnetic field generated from said subject by an eddy-current induced by said alternative magnetic field, said multilayered film including a free-magnetization-direction layer magnetized perpendicularly to said pair of current lines under a condition without any external magnetic field and a pinned-magnetization-direction layer magnetized in parallel with said pair of current lines.