Patent ID: 7312960

Claim:
A magnetic sensing element comprising a pinned magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic conductive layer disposed therebetween, wherein an end face of the pinned magnetic layer is opened, the end face opposing a face of a recording medium, the magnetic sensing element comprising: a nonmagnetic layer for increasing a coercive force of the pinned magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic layer being disposed adjacent to the pinned magnetic layer, wherein the pinned magnetic layer has a first face and a second face, and the first face is set to be adjacent to the nonmagnetic conductive layer and the second face is set to be adjacent to the nonmagnetic layer, and wherein the nonmagnetic layer comprises (Ni x Fe 1-x ) 100-y Cr y (wherein x represents an atomic ratio of 0 to 1 and y is 18 to 50 atomic percent or 90 to 100 atomic percent).