Patent ID: 7441326

Claim:
A manufacturing method of a magnetic sensor in which a magnetosensitive film for sensing an external magnetic field is vertically sandwiched by a pair of terminals to apply an electric current to said magnetosensitive film in a direction perpendicular to a magnetoresistive film surface of said magnetosensitive film, said method comprising the steps of: forming one of said terminals such that a surface of said one of said terminals is opposed to said magnetosensitive film so as to include the whole area of said magnetoresistive film surface; forming the other of said terminals such that a surface of said other of said terminals is smaller in area than said magnetoresistive film surface and opposed to said magnetosensitive film so as to fall within the area of said magnetoresistive film surface, and said other of said terminals has a predetermined shape in a section perpendicular to said magnetoresistive film surface and parallel to a magnetosensitive side, said shape having a width of said other of said terminals changing from one portion to another; and polishing an end surface that is to serve as said magnetosensitive film, so as to control the width of said other of said terminals exposed on said end surface.