MAGNETORESISTIVE DEVICE AND MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE

摘要

A magnetoresistive device having a favorable magnetic characteristic, and a magnetic memory device comprising this magnetoresistive device and having an excellent write/read characteristic are disclosed. A pair of ferromagnetic layer (magnetization pinned layer (5) and a magnetization free layer (7)) are opposed to each other, with an intermediate layer (6) interposed therebetween. The magnetoresistance can be varied by passing a current perpendicularly to the film surface. When the product of the resistivity multiplied by the film thickness of when a current is passed in the direction of the film thickness of the magnetization free layer (7) is defined as a normalized resistance, the normalized resistance of a magnetoresistive device (1) lies in the range from 2,000 to 10,000 ohmnm<2>. The magnetic memory device comprises such a magnetoresistive device (1), and a bit line and a word line between which the magnetoresistive device (1) is interposed in the direction of thickness.