Magnetoresistive element and MRAM using the same

摘要

The object of this invention is to suppress an offset of the switching magnetic field of a memory layer caused by a static magnetic field from a pinned layer in a magnetoresistive element used as a memory element. The magnetoresistive element is constituted by sequentially stacking a first magnetic layer (1) magnetized perpendicularly to the film surface, an insulating layer (N2), and a second magnetic layer (2) magnetized perpendicularly to the film surface. The coercive force of the second magnetic layer (2) is higher than that of the first magnetic layer (1). The resistance value upon flowing a current between the first magnetic layer (1) and the second magnetic layer (2) via the insulating layer (N2) changes depending on the relative angle in magnetization between the first magnetic layer (1) and the second magnetic layer (2). In this magnetoresistive element, a magnetic field applied from the second magnetic layer (2) to the first magnetic layer (1) is set smaller than the coercive force of the first magnetic layer (1).