VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELEMENT, MAGNETIC RESISTANCE DEVICE USING THE SAME AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF MAGNETIC RESISTANCE DEVICE

摘要

A variable resistance element that can be incorporated in a reproduction magnetic head is supplied as a shunt resistor of a tunnel magnetic resistance effect element. The reproduction magnetic head setting a value of the shunt resistor to an optimum value in accordance with a resistance value of the tunnel magnetic resistance effect element worked as an element after film formation by using the variable resistance element, and a manufacturing method of the head are provided. A storage device capable of reducing the resistance value of the tunnel magnetic resistance effect element and materializing high reproduction sensibility corresponding to an increase of recording density is provided without relying upon a thinning means of a barrier layer. The variable resistance element has a ferromagnetic layer surrounding the magnetic resistance effect element in an element surface. The magnetic resistance effect element has an antiferromagnetic layer, a fist magnetic layer whose magnetization is fixed by the antiferromagnetic layer, a second magnetic layer whose magnetization is fixed by a magnetic field of the ferromagnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer arranged between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The reproduction magnetic head and the storage device are constituted by using the element.