Patent ID: 7227771

Claim:
A magnetoresistive effect element comprising: a laminate that is disposed at an intersection where a first write line and a second write line intersect with each other, in a manner sandwiched between the first write line and the second write line, said laminate including a sensitive magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is changed by a synthetic magnetic field of magnetic fields generated around the first write line and the second write line, and at the same time being configured such that electric current flows in a direction perpendicular to laminating surfaces thereof; and a magnetic material that individually covers the first write line and the second write line at the intersection, thereby forming an annular magnetic layer associated with the first write line and an annular magnetic layer associated with the second write line, wherein: the sensitive magnetic layer includes a shared portion of said annular magnetic layers of said magnetic material, said shared portion being sandwiched by the first write line and the second write line; said laminate is configured to include a non-magnetic layer, a first magnetic layer deposited on one side of said non-magnetic layer and having a fixed magnetization direction, said sensitive magnetic layer deposited on a side of said non-magnetic layer opposite from said first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer that is deposited on a side of said first magnetic layer opposite from said non-magnetic layer and is exchange-coupled with said first magnetic layer, said second magnetic layer having an antiferromagnetic property; and information can be read out based on the electric current.