Magnetoresistive magnetic head

Abstract

In a magnetoresistive magnetic head having a laminate composed of a magnetoresistive (MR) layer showing the magnetoresistive effect, a SHUNT layer as a non-magnetic layer and a soft adjacent layer (SAL) for applying a transverse bias magnetic field to the MR layer, the MR layer and the SAL are made of the same Ni.sub.81 Fe.sub.19 magnetic film. Since the SAL is magnetically saturated in the same direction as the direction of leakage flux of a recording medium (y direction), permeability thereof in the y direction decreases, and the MR effect function therein can be restricted. Although the MR layer and the SAL have the same specific resistance .rho., a sufficient detection current can be made to flow through the MR layer and a high-precision magnetic detection output can be obtained by making the MR layer thicker than the SAL.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.