Patent ID: 7241514

Claim:
A magneto-resistive device comprising: a magneto-resistive layer formed on one surface side of a base and including an oxide layer; and a cap layer formed on a surface of the magneto-resistive layer opposite to the base, the cap layer including two or more conductive layers, wherein at least one conductive layer of the two or more conductive layers except for a conductive layer formed furthest away from the base is made of a material that includes an element that has higher oxygen bond energy than Ru and that has higher oxygen bond energy than an element of which a magnetic layer is made between the oxide layer and the cap layer, wherein the at least one conductive layer includes one or more selected from a group consisting of Zr, Hf, and an alloy including one or more of the elements, wherein the conductive layer of the two or more conductive layers that is formed furthest away from the base is made of a noble metal, an effective region effectively involved in detection of magnetism in the magneto-resistive layer is a region in which a current flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film surface in the magneto-resistive layer, wherein the magneto-resistive layer includes a tunnel barrier layer, a free layer formed on one surface side of the tunnel barrier layer, a pinned layer formed on other surface side of the tunnel barrier layer, and a pin layer formed on one surface side of the pinned layer opposite to the tunnel barrier layer, wherein the oxide layer comprises the tunnel barrier layer, and wherein the free layer is formed on one surface side of the tunnel barrier layer opposite to the base.