Patent ID: 8018693

Claim:
A magnetic detector comprising a magnetoresistive element and an impact sensor, wherein: the magnetoresistive element has a plurality of element-constituent layers that are stacked and include a free layer, the free layer having a magnetization direction that changes in response to a magnetic field to be detected by the magnetic detector; the impact sensor has a plurality of sensor-constituent layers that are made of materials the same as those of the plurality of element-constituent layers and stacked in an order the same as the plurality of element-constituent layers; the plurality of sensor-constituent layers include an impact detecting layer, the impact detecting layer corresponding to the free layer and having a magnetization direction that changes by an inverse magnetostrictive effect in response to distortion created in the impact detecting layer by an impact received by the magnetic detector; and the impact detecting layer exhibits a greater amount of change in magnetization direction when the magnetic detector receives an impact, compared with the free layer.