| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetoresistive effect element, a magnetoresistive effect magnetic head, and their manufacturing method, in which Barkhausen noise, or the like, is reduced at the time of reproduction by suppressing shunt of sense current. SOLUTION: The magnetoresistive effect element comprises a first GMR layer 21 consisting of a lower shield, a lower electrode layer and a nonmagnetic layer, a second GMR layer 23 consisting of an antiferromagnetic layer, a fixed layer and a spacer layer, a free layer/flux introduction layer 207 of soft magnetic material having a magnetizing direction dependent on the external field, and an insulation layer 208a formed sequentially. An upper electrode touching the free layer/flux introduction layer 207 and an upper shield is provided at a part of the insulation layer 208a. The second GMR layer 23, the free layer/flux introduction layer 207, the upper electrode 209, a hard magnetic layer 210 touching the side face of the insulation layer 208a, and an insulation layer 208b above the hard magnetic layer 210 are provided on the first GMR layer 21.
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