Manufacturing method of spin-valve magnetoresistive thin film element

A spin-valve magnetoresistive thin film element, comprising:

• an antiferromagnetic layer;
• a pinned magnetic layer formed in a manner contacting said antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the magnetizing direction is pinned by the exchange coupling magnetic field between said pinned magnetic layer and said antiferromagnetic layer;
• and
• a nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer formed between a free magnetic layer and said pinned magnetic layer, wherein the magnetizing direction of said free magnetic layer is aligned so as to intersect with the magnetizing direction of said pinned magnetic layer;
• wherein electric resistance, which changes according to the relationship between pinned magnetization of said pinned magnetic layer and fluctuating magnetization of said free magnetic layer, is detected by means of a sensing current being caused to flow in a direction intersecting the pinned magnetization of said pinned magnetic layer;
• and wherein said pinned magnetic layer is divided into the two layers of a first pinned magnetic layer which comes in contact with said antiferromagnetic layer and a second pinned magnetic layer which comes in contact with said nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer, with a nonmagnetic intermediate layer introduced therebetween;
• and wherein said sensing current is caused to flow in a direction such that the direction of the sensing current magnetic field formed at the first pinned magnetic layer/nonmagnetic intermediate layer/second pinned magnetic layer portion by means of causing said sensing current to flow, and the direction of a synthesized magnetic moment formed by adding the magnetic moment of said first pinned magnetic layer (wherein saturation magnetization is Ms and film thickness is t) and the magnetic moment of said second pinned magnetic layer, are the same direction.