Magnetoresistance effect element

A magnetoresistance effect element comprising:

• an underlayer;
• a first ferromagnetic metal layer;
• a second ferromagnetic metal layer;
• and
• a tunnel barrier layer that is sandwiched between the first and second ferromagnetic metal layers,
• wherein the tunnel barrier layer has a spinel structure comprising a divalent cation and a trivalent cation in a unit cell wherein a concentration of constituent elements of the divalent cation in the unit cell is more than half a concentration of constituent elements of the trivalent cation in the unit cell, and
• wherein the divalent cation is a non-magnetic divalent cation which is one or more selected from a group consisting of magnesium, zinc and cadmium,
• wherein the tunnel barrier layer comprises:
• at least one lattice-matched portion that is lattice-matched with both of the first ferromagnetic metal layer and the second ferromagnetic metal layer;
• and at least one lattice-mismatched portion that is not lattice-matched with at least one of the first ferromagnetic metal layer and the second ferromagnetic metal layer, and wherein the underlayer is made of
• a nitride layer having a (001)-oriented NaCl structure and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb, V, Hf, Ta, Mo, W, B, Al and Ce,
• a layer having a (001)-oriented tetragonal or cubic structure and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt, Au, Mo, and W, or
• a layer having a stacked structure with a combination of a nitride layer having a (001)-oriented NaCl structure and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb, V, Hf, Ta, Mo, W, B, Al and Ce and a layer having a (001)-oriented tetragonal or cubic structure and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt, Au, Mo, and W.