The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 26, 2002
Tomomi Tunayama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Masayuki Takagishi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kohichi Tateyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Yuichi Ohsawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Susumu Hashimoto, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Michiko Hara, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Akio Hori, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a magnetoresistive effect element, at least one of electrodes for supplying a current perpendicularly to the film plane of a magnetoresistive effect film is narrower than the distance between bias-applying films. The sensitivity of the magnetoresistive effect film is lower in regions thereof near the bias-applying films due to an intensive bias magnetic field from the bias-applying films. However, the electrodes are disposed in an inner region having a high sensitivity avoiding those regions with a lower sensitivity to ensure a high sensitivity. The electrodes disposed on and under the magnetoresistive effect film are pillar-shaped to concentrate the sense current such that the sense current can be concentrically supplied exclusively to the region with the high sensitivity.