Patent ID: 7079362

Claim:
A giant magnetoresistive element comprising: a first antiferromagnetic layer; a pinned magnetic layer formed on the first antiferromagnetic layer such that a magnetization direction is pinned by an exchange coupling magnetic field with the first antiferromagnetic layer; a nonmagnetic material layer formed on the pinned magnetic layer; a free magnetic layer formed on the nonmagnetic material layer such that a magnetization direction of a central portion changes with an external magnetic field; nonmagnetic layers formed on both side portions of the free magnetic layer in a track width direction; ferromagnetic layers formed on the respective nonmagnetic layers; and second antiferromagnetic layers formed on the respective ferromagnetic layers to align a magnetization direction of each ferromagnetic layer in a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer; wherein at least the free magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic layers and the ferromagnetic layers have continuous end surfaces at both sides in the track width direction, and electrode layers are formed in contact with upper surfaces of the respective second antiferromagnetic layers and contact with end surfaces of the layers ranging from the antiferromagnetic layers to the pinned magnetic layer at both sides in the track width direction.