Patent ID: 8427144

Claim:
A magnetoresistive element, comprising: a plurality of magnetoresistive films each aligned along a lamination plane, and each having an upper surface and a lower surface; and conductors combining the plurality of magnetoresistive films in series, and including a plurality of top electrodes and a plurality of bottom electrodes, wherein each one of the top electrodes and corresponding one of the bottom electrodes oppose each other so as to sandwich corresponding one of the magnetoresistive films in a direction of stack of the magnetoresistive films, each electrode of the top electrodes and the bottom electrodes includes a stem section and a branch section, the stem section extending in a direction along a series alignment direction of the magnetoresistive films, and the branch section extending along the lamination plane in a direction intersecting a direction in which the stem section extends, and the branch section in each of the top electrodes is in contact with an upper surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film, and the branch section in each of the bottom electrodes is in contact with a lower surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film.