Patent ID: 7593195

Claim:
A magnetoresistance effect element comprising: a magnetoresistance effect film having: a first magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization is substantially pinned in one direction; a second magnetic layer whose direction of magnetization changes in response to an external magnetic field; a nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first and second magnetic layers; and a film provided in the first magnetic layer, in the second magnetic layer, at an interface between the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, or at an interface between the second magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, the film having a thickness not larger than 3 nanometers, and the film having at least one selected from the group consisting of nitride, oxynitride, phosphide, and fluoride; and a pair of electrodes electrically coupled to the magnetoresistance effect film and configured to supply a sense current perpendicularly to a film plane of said magnetoresistance effect film, wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic layers is made of a material having a crystal structure of a face centered cubic, its film plane is oriented in a direction substantially parallel to (111) plane, and its orientation dispersion angle is equal to or smaller than 5 degrees.