Patent ID: 8179642

Claim:
A magnetoresistive effect element (MR element) in a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) structure, comprising: a magnetoresistive effect part (MR part) configured with a nonmagnetic layer, a first ferromagnetic layer that functions as first free layer and a second ferromagnetic layer that functions as a second free layer, and first and second ferromagnetic layers are laminated to sandwich the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a sense current flows in a lamination direction of the MR part, wherein an orthogonalizing bias function part, which influences a substantial orthogonalization function for magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, is formed on the rear side the MR part, side shield layers are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the MR part, the side shield layers are perpendicular magnetized layers with a magnetic shield function, and magnetization directions of the perpendicular magnetized layers are in an orthogonal direction that corresponds to the thickness direction.