Patent ID: 7130163

Claim:
A magnetoresistance effect element comprising: two ferromagnetic layers, one of the two ferromagnetic layers being a magnetization fixed layer having a magnetization direction substantially fixed to one direction, and the other ferromagnetic layer being a magnetization free layer having a magnetization direction varying in response to an external magnetic field; a non-magnetic layer provided between the ferromagnetic layers; and a layer containing an oxide as a principal component and containing a magnetic transition metal element which does not bond to oxygen and which is at least one of Co, Fe and Ni, the magnetic transition metal element which does not bond to oxygen being substantially present throughout the layer containing the oxide as the principal component, wherein the magnetoresistance effect element has a resistance varying in response to a relative angle between the magnetization direction of the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization direction of the magnetization free layer, and wherein a thickness of the layer containing the oxide as the principal component is in the range of from 1 nm to 3 nm.