Patent ID: 8213130

Claim:
A magnetoresistive element comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode; a first magnetic layer to be provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and to have first magnetization whose direction is fixed or variable to an external magnetic field; a second magnetic layer to be provided between the first magnetic layer and the second electrode and to have second magnetization whose direction is variable to the external magnetic field; a spacer layer to be provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; an oxide layer to be provided between the first electrode and the first magnetic layer, provided in the first magnetic layer, provided between the first magnetic layer and the spacer layer, provided in the spacer layer, provided between the spacer layer and the second magnetic layer, provided in the second magnetic layer, or provided between the second magnetic layer and the second electrode, and to include at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zn, In, Sn, and Cd, and to include at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni; and a metal layer to be provided in a direction and in contact with the oxide layer, the direction being substantially perpendicular to both the first layer and the second layer, and to include at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zn, In, Sn, and Cd by not less than 5 at % and not more than 80 at %; and to include at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni.