Method of manufacturing magnetoresistive element, magnetoresistive element, magnetic head assembly and magnetic recording apparatus

A magnetoresistive element comprising:

• a stacked film comprising first and second ferromagnetic layers, a magnetization direction of one of which ferromagnetic layers is substantially pinned in a direction and a magnetization direction of the other of which ferromagnetic layers is varied depending on an external magnetic field, and an intermediate layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layers;
• and
• a pair of electrodes provided on a bottom and a top of the stacked film and configured to pass a current perpendicularly to a film plane of the stacked film,
• the intermediate layer comprising:
• an oxide layer;
• a magnetic conduction column penetrating the oxide layer in a thickness direction;
• and a magnetic oxide covering at least a part of a periphery of the magnetic conduction column and comprising a part of constituent elements of the oxide layer and at least a part of constituent elements of the magnetic conduction column.