Patent ID: 7781816

Claim:
A nonvolatile magnetic memory device comprising a magnetoresistance device having a recording layer formed of a ferromagnetic material for storing information by use of variation in resistance depending on the magnetization inversion state; wherein: a plan-view shape of said recording layer is a superposed shape in which a first shape and a second shape having a center coinciding with the center of said first shape are superposed on each other so that said second shape is projected from said first shape at one position; the first shape axis passing through the center of said first shape and the second shape axis passing through the center of said second shape orthogonally intersect each other; said first shape includes one shape selected from the group including an ellipse, a flat oval, and a flat circle; said second shape includes one shape selected from the group including a semi-circle, a semi-ellipse, part of a flat oval, and part of a flat circle; the easy axis of magnetization of said recording layer is substantially parallel to said first shape axis; the hard axis of magnetization of said recording layer is substantially parallel to said second shape axis; the relationship L L >L S is satisfied, where 2L L is the length of said first shape along said first shape axis, and L s is the length from a tip end portion of the second shape to the center of said first shape along said second shape axis; and the portion at which the visible outline of said first shape and the visible outline of said second shape intersect each other includes a smooth curve, the smooth curve having a central portion curving toward the center.