Patent ID: 8345389

Claim:
A magnetoresistive element comprising: a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer to be provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; a first metal layer which includes Au and is provided so that the first ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the nonmagnetic layer and the first metal layer; a second metal layer which includes a CuNi alloy and is provided so that the first metal layer is sandwiched between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second metal layer; a first electrode to be provided so that the second metal layer is sandwiched between the first metal layer and the first electrode; and a second electrode to be provided so that the second ferromagnetic layer is sandwiched between the nonmagnetic layer and the second electrode, wherein magnetization of either one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer is fixed in a direction; magnetization of the other is variable in response to an external field; at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer includes a half metal; and an electric current is passed from the first electrode to the second electrode.