Patent ID: 7336453

Claim:
A magnetic sensing element comprising: a multilayer film comprising: at least one pinned magnetic layer in which the magnetization direction is pinned in one direction; a free magnetic layer; and at least one nonmagnetic layer disposed between the at least one pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, wherein a current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the layers in the multilayer film, wherein at least one of the free magnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer comprises a Heusler alloy layer, wherein the Heusler alloy layer has a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [220] planes are preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to the surface of the layers in the multilayer film, and wherein the Heusler alloy layer is disposed on a bcc layer having a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [110] planes are preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to a surface of the bcc layer.