Patent ID: 7433161

Claim:
A magnetic sensor, comprising: a laminate, comprising: an antiferromagnetic layer; a fixed magnetic layer; a nonmagnetic material layer; and a free magnetic layer in which a magnetization thereof varies in accordance with an external magnetic field, the layers being provided in that order from the bottom; the fixed magnetic layer comprising: a nonmagnetic material-contact layer in contact with the nonmagnetic material layer; a nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer; a Nano-Oxide layer (NOL) between the nonmagnetic material-contact layer and the nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer, the NOL having an intermittent wherein the nonmagnetic material-contact layer is formed of Co, and the nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer is formed of a CoFe alloy, wherein the nonmagnetic material-contact layer and the nonmagnetic material noncontact layer have a ferromagnetic coupling and a same direction of magnetization; and wherein NOL is formed by depositing a Cr layer on the nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer, and oxidization of a surface of the Cr layer and the nonmagnetic material-noncontact layer.