MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT ELEMENT, MAGNETIC HEAD, MAGNETIC HEAD ASSEMBLY AND MAGNETIC RECORDING DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetoresistance effect element easy in the design of a bias point and having high sensitivity and high reliability, and to provide a magnetic head, a magnetic head assembly and a magnetic recording device. SOLUTION: In a spin valve, the magnetization direction of a free layer is at a certain angle to the magnetization direction of a second ferromagnetic layer when the applied magnetic field is zero, and a pinned magnetic layer includes a pair of ferromagnetic films as anti-ferromagnetically coupled to each other and a coupling film ferromagnetically coupling them to each other. The element is provided with a means for keeping the magnetization of either one of the pair of the ferromagnetic films constituting the pinned magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic high-conductivity layer as disposed adjacent to a first ferromagnetic layer on the side opposite to the side on which the first ferromagnetic layer and a non-magnetic spacer layer are in contact with each other. Thereby, the magneto-resistance effect element having very high sensitivity while keeping the satisfactory bias point can be realized.