Magnetoresistive effect element and magnetic memory device

Abstract

Write characteristics and read characteristics can be improved at the same time by applying novel materials to ferromagnetic layers. In a magnetoresistive effect element having a pair of ferromagnetic layers being opposed to each other through an intermediate layer to cause a current to flow in the direction perpendicular to the film plane to obtain a magnetoresistive change, at least one of the ferromagnetic layers contains a ferromagnetic material containing Fe, Co and B. The ferromagnetic material should preferably contain FeaCobNicBd (in the chemical formula, a, b, c and d represent atomic %. 5≦a≦45, 35≦b≦85, 0<c≦35, 10≦d≦30. a+b+C+d=100).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.