Patent ID: 7132175

Claim:
A magnetic detecting element comprising: a multilayer film comprising a laminate of a free magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic material layer, a pinned magnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer; wherein a current flows perpendicularly to a film plane of each of the layers of the multilayer film, and the free magnetic layer comprises a plurality of soft magnetic layers which are laminated with a current limiting layer disposed therebetween, the current limiting layer comprising an insulating portion and a conductive portion; wherein the insulating portion of the current limiting layer comprises an insulating material film having a plurality of holes extending from a top to a bottom of the current limiting layer, the holes being filled with a conductive material film serving as the conductive portion; wherein the holes have an opening ratio in the current limiting layer of from about 10% to 30%, and wherein the conductive portion of the current limiting layer comprises conductive particles, and a thickness of the current limiting layer is smaller than a particle size of the conductive particles.