Magnetic sensor that includes magenetoresistive films and conductors that combine the magnetoresistive films

A magnetic sensor having first and second magnetoresistive elements each exhibiting a resistance change in an increasing or decreasing direction opposite to each other in response to a signal magnetic field, each of the first and second magnetoresistive elements comprising:

• a plurality of magnetoresistive films each aligned along a lamination plane, and each having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• and
• conductors combining the plurality of magnetoresistive films in series, and including a plurality of top electrodes and a plurality of bottom electrodes, wherein
• each one of the top electrodes and corresponding one of the bottom electrodes oppose each other so as to sandwich corresponding one of the magnetoresistive films in a direction of stack of the magnetoresistive films,
• each electrode of the top electrodes and the bottom electrodes includes a stem section and a branch section, the stem section extending in a direction along a series alignment direction of the magnetoresistive films, and the branch section extending along the lamination plane in a direction intersecting a direction in which the stem section extends, and
• the branch section in each of the top electrodes is in contact with an upper surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film, and the branch section in each of the bottom electrodes is in contact with a lower surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film.

A magnetic sensor having first to fourth magnetoresistive elements each exhibiting a resistance change in response to a signal magnetic field, and having a difference detector, each of the first to fourth magnetoresistive elements comprising:

• a plurality of magnetoresistive films each aligned along a lamination plane, and each having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• and
• conductors combining the plurality of magnetoresistive films in series, and including a plurality of top electrodes and a plurality of bottom electrodes, wherein
• each one of the top electrodes and corresponding one of the bottom electrodes oppose each other so as to sandwich corresponding one of the magnetoresistive films in a direction of stack of the magnetoresistive films,
• each electrode of the top electrodes and the bottom electrodes includes a stem section and a branch section, the stem section extending in a direction along a series alignment direction of the magnetoresistive films, and the branch section extending along the lamination plane in a direction intersecting a direction in which the stem section extends,
• the branch section in each of the top electrodes is in contact with an upper surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film, and the branch section in each of the bottom electrodes is in contact with a lower surface of the corresponding magnetoresistive film,
• a first end of the first magnetoresistive element and a first end of the second magnetoresistive element are connected together in a first connection point, a first end of the third magnetoresistive element and a first end of the fourth magnetoresistive element are connected together in a second connection point, a second end of the first magnetoresistive element and a second end of the fourth magnetoresistive element are connected together in a third connection point, and a second end of the second magnetoresistive element and a second end of the third magnetoresistive element are connected together in a fourth connection point, to establish a bridge circuit,
• resistances of the first and third magnetoresistive elements change in a same increasing or decreasing direction in response to the signal magnetic field,
• resistances of the second and fourth magnetoresistive elements change in an increasing or decreasing direction opposite to the increasing or decreasing direction of the resistances of the first and third magnetoresistive elements in response to the signal magnetic field, and
• the difference detector detects a difference in potential, which is caused between the third and fourth connection points in response to application of a voltage between the first and second connection points.