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Abstract

The present invention provides a thin-film magnetic sensor including: a giant magnetoresistive film having a giant magnetoresistive effect, and thin-film yokes each composed of a soft magnetic material and electrically connected to both ends of the giant magnetoresistive film, in which each of the thin-film yokes includes an outer yoke which is composed of a first soft magnetic material and is provided outward with respect to the giant magnetoresistive film and an inner yoke which is composed of a second soft magnetic material and is provided between the giant magnetoresistive film and the outer yoke; the first soft magnetic material is composed of a crystalline or microcrystalline soft magnetic material; the thin-film magnetic sensor is obtained by (1) forming the each outer yoke, the giant magnetoresistive film and the each inner yoke in this order, and (2) performing a heat treatment for improving soft magnetic characteristics of the each outer yoke before forming the giant magnetoresistive film; and a length L₂ of the each inner yoke satisfies the following equation (a) and equation (b):

description='In-line Formulae' end='lead'L₂/t₁≧1  (a)description='In-line Formulae' end='tail'

description='In-line Formulae' end='lead'L₂×100/(L₁+L₂)≦50  (b)description='In-line Formulae' end='tail'

where t₁ is a thickness of the each outer yoke, and L₁ is a length of the each outer yoke.

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First Claim