Patent ID: 8779764

Claim:
A method for producing a magneto-resistive effect element by using a magneto-resistive effect film formed by laminating a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic layer, and a free layer in order from the side of a substrate, the method comprising: a first pattern forming step of forming a first linear pattern in a first portion on the substrate in a first direction; a second pattern forming step of forming a second linear pattern in a second portion on the substrate in a second direction; a magneto-resistive effect film forming step of forming a magneto-resistive effect film on the substrate while applying a magnetic field in a direction at a predetermined magnetic field application angle; and an element forming step of forming a magneto-resistive effect element having a pair of electrodes by processing the magneto-resistive effect film into a predetermined shape, wherein the magnetic field application angle is set to an angle between the angles of the first direction and the second direction, and wherein a series of the first pattern forming step, the second pattern forming step, the magneto-resistive effect film forming step, and the element forming step is performed a plurality of times while the first direction, the second direction, the first portion, and the second portion are changed each time the series of the steps is performed.