Patent ID: 8310791

Claim:
A magnetoresistive effect (MR) element of a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) structure comprising: a magnetoresistive effect (MR) part that includes a multilayer film formed of sequentially a magnetic pinned layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a free layer; bias magnetic field application layers formed on either end of the multilayer film in a width direction along a width direction axis (X-axis); and first and second shield layers provided so as to interpose the MR part between them from above and below, wherein a sense current is applied in a direction along a lamination direction axis (Z-axis); the free layer is configured to change its magnetization direction in accordance with the external magnetic field; the bias magnetic field application layers are configured to apply a vertical bias magnetic field in the width direction to the free layer and to extend backwardly from an air bearing surface (ABS) that is the medium opposed surface; the first shield layer is provided closer to the magnetic pinned layer than to the free layer, and has a laminated structure comprising, from the magnetic pinned layer side, an oblique pinned layer, an antiferromagnetic layer, and a main shield layer; a magnetic coupling adjustment layer is interposed between the oblique pinned layer of the first shield layer and the magnetic pinned layer; a magnetization of the oblique pinned layer is pinned by an exchange-coupling with the antiferromagnetic layer at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees measured on an acute angle basis with respect to the width direction axis (X-axis) as the reference (0 degree) in a plane defined by the width direction axis (X-axis) and a longitudinal direction axis (Y-axis) of the ABS; the magnetization of the oblique pinned layer is magnetically linked up to a magnetization of the magnetic pinned layer via the magnetic coupling adjustment layer; the magnetization direction of a magnetic layer positioned closest to the magnetic pinned layer among magnetic layers existing in the magnetic coupling adjustment layer is toward the longitudinal direction axis (Y-axis) by the assistance of the vertical bias magnetic field in the width direction from the bias magnetic field application layers; and the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer forms an acute angle greater than 0 degrees with respect to the width direction axis (X-axis).