Patent ID: 8913349

Claim:
A magnetoresistive effect element (MR element), comprising a magnetoresistive effect part (MR part), an upper shield layer and a lower shield layer that are lamination-formed so as to interpose the MR part between the upper and lower shield layers, having a current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) structure in which a sense current is applied in the lamination direction, wherein the MR element further has side shield layers formed with an insulating layer between the side shield layers and the lower shield layer so as to interpose the MR part between the side shield layers in a track width direction when viewed from a medium opposing surface of the MR element; the MR part comprises a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer to be lamination-formed so as to interpose the nonmagnetic intermediate layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layers; each of the upper shield layer and the lower shield layer has an inclined magnetization structure of which its magnetization is inclined relative to the track width direction; the side shield layers are magnetically coupled with the upper shield layer, respectively; the second ferromagnetic layer is indirectly magnetically coupled with the lower shield layer via an exchange-coupling functional gap layer positioned between the second ferromagnetic layer and the lower shield layer; the side shield layer is configured to be able to apply a bias magnetic field to at least the first ferromagnetic layer; and a magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer and a magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer are configured to be substantially orthogonalized.