Patent ID: 7504927

Claim:
A current sensor comprising: a first magnetoresistive element which includes a plurality of strip-shaped element patterns extending in a first direction and disposed so as to be adjacent to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction at a first level; a second magnetoresistive element which includes a plurality of strip-shaped element patterns extending in the first direction and disposed so as to be adjacent to each other in the second direction at a second level different from the first level; and a first thin film coil which winds at a third level positioned between the first and second levels while including a plurality of first winding body portions extending in the first direction in correspondence with each of the element patterns of the first and second magnetoresistive elements, the first thin film coil applying a first current magnetic field from each of the plurality of first winding body portions to each of the element patterns of the first and second magnetoresistive elements when an unknown current to be detected is supplied to the first thin film coil.