Patent ID: 7016162

Claim:
A magnetoresistance effect element comprising: a stacked film including a magnetization fixed layer in which the direction of magnetization is substantially fixed to one direction, and a magnetization free layer in which the direction of magnetization varies in accordance with an external magnetic field; and an electrode connected to a part of a principal plane of the stacked film, the magnetoresistance effect element having a resistance varying in response to a relative angle between the direction of magnetization in the magnetization fixed layer and the direction of magnetization in the magnetization free layer, the electrode configured to provide a sense current for detecting the variation of the resistance to the stacked film, the sense current configured to flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer, and the electrode comprising a first pillar electrode portion substantially perpendicularly extending from the principal plane of the stacked film and having a smaller sectional area than the stacked film, a second pillar electrode portion connected to the first pillar electrode portion and extending from the first pillar electrode portion in perpendicular to the principal plane of the stacked film and having a larger sectional area than the first pillar electrode portion, and a feed portion being connected to the second pillar electrode portion and extending from the second pillar electrode portion substantially in parallel to the principal plane of the stacked film.