Patent ID: 7894166

Claim:
A magneto-resistive effect device of a CPP structure, comprising a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked together and formed with the nonmagnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between them, wherein: said first ferromagnetic layer and said second ferromagnetic layer are magnetically coupled via the nonmagnetic intermediate layer such that magnetizations of said first ferromagnetic layer and said second ferromagnetic layer are antiparallel with each other wherein mutually antiparallel magnetizations of two magnetic layers lie in a medium opposite plane or front to rear direction and in a rear to front direction, said second ferromagnetic layer is divided by a nonmagnetic intervening layer into a front second ferromagnetic layer and a rear second ferromagnetic layer on the way from the front to the rear, and said front second ferromagnetic layer and a front portion of said first ferromagnetic layer located at a position that makes a pair with said front second ferromagnetic layer via said nonmagnetic intermediate layer defines a substantial magnetic sensor portion with a sense current applied to said magnetic sensor portion in a stacking direction.