Patent ID: 7881023

Claim:
A magnetoresistive device with a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) structure, comprising a magnetoresistive unit, and a first, substantially soft magnetic shield layer positioned below and a second, substantially soft magnetic shield layer positioned above, which are located and formed such that the magnetoresistive unit is sandwiched between them, with a sense current applied in a stacking direction, characterized in that: said magnetoresistive unit comprises a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked and formed such that said nonmagnetic intermediate layer is interposed between them, each of said first shield layer positioned below and said second shield layer positioned above is configured in a frame shape having a planar shape (X-Y plane) defined by the width and length directions of the device, wherein the framework for said first, and said second shield layer has a front frame-constituting portion located on a medium opposite plane side in front and near where the magnetoresistive unit is positioned, and each of the first ferromagnetic layer and second ferromagnetic layer forming said magnetoresistive unit receives action such that, under influences of magnetic action of the front frame-constituting portions for said first and second shield layers, there is an antiparallel magnetization state created, in which mutual magnetizations are in opposite directions.