A giant magneto-resistive effect element (1) comprises a lamination layer
film (2) including a ferromagnetic film and wherein a nonmagnetic film and
an antiferromagnetic film, the ferromagnetic film includes a magnetization
free layer (13) and a magnetization fixed layer, a current is restricted
by an upper electrode and a lower electrode in such a manner that the
current may flow in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of the
lamination layer film (2), the lamination layer film (2) is laminated
including a high-resistance layer (21), a hard magnetic film (3) made of a
conductive hard magnetic material and an insulating layer (4) are directly
bonded to respective outsides of this lamination layer film (2) along its
width direction and this hard magnetic film (3) is shifted from the
high-resistance layer (21) and bonded near the magnetization free layer
(13). A magneto-resistive effect type head, a thin-film magnetic memory
and a thin-film magnetic sensor include the giant magneto-resistive effect
element (1). The giant magneto-resistive effect element can obtain a high
output, a high resistance and is able to cope with high recording density.
Also, the magneto-resistive effect head, the thin-film magnetic memory and
the thin-film magnetic sensor may include this giant magneto-resistive
effect element.
