MANUFACTURE OF MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a method, in which a magnetic thin-film material is not scattered at the time of trimming and a protective film need not be formed doubly at the time of a magnetoresistive element, to which laser trimming is conducted. SOLUTION: First, a conductor pattern 2, consisting of a ferromagnetic thin- film and containing a plurality of resistance sections, is formed onto a substrate 1. A protective film 3 is formed onto the conductor pattern 2. The electric resistance values of the resistive sections are adjusted by irradiating the conductor pattern 2 with laser beams 6 through the protective film 3 and cutting off a part of the conductor pattern 2, while changing the quantity of the conductor pattern 2 cut off on the basis of an output signal from the conductor pattern 2. An SiO2 film having film thickness from 1 μm to 2 μm is used as the protective film 2 at that time, and laser beams 6 having an output from 1.5 mW to 2.0 mW may be applied through the protective film 2.