Patent ID: 8405172

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a switching element formed over a main surface of the semiconductor substrate; an interlayer insulating film formed so as to cover the switching element; a flat plate-like wiring formed over the interlayer insulating film; a coupling wiring coupling the flat plate-like wiring and the switching element with each other; a magnetoresistive element including a magnetization free layer the orientation of magnetization of which is variable and formed over the flat plate-like wiring; and a wiring positioned above the magnetoresistive element, extended in the direction along the main surface, and capable of changing the magnetization state of the magnetization free layer, wherein in a memory cell area where a plurality of the magnetoresistive elements are arranged, a first high permeability film arranged above the magnetoresistive elements covers both the memory cell area and a peripheral area as an area other than the memory cell area, and wherein the first high permeability film arranged over the memory cell area is separated from the first high permeability film arranged above the peripheral area.