Provided are a magnetoresistive device capable of obtaining a larger
amount of resistance change and responding to a higher recording density
and a thin film magnetic head comprising the magnetoresistive device. A
first magnetization fixed film and a second magnetization fixed film have
magnetization directions antiparallel to each other, and the second
magnetization fixed film farther from a magnetization free layer is made
of, for example, a material including at least one selected from the
group consisting of tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V), and
has a bulk scattering coefficient of 0.25 or less. Thereby, a bulk
scattering effect by the second magnetization fixed film which has a
function of canceling out the amount of resistance change between the
magnetization free layer and the first magnetization fixed film can be
prevented, and a magnetoresistive ratio .DELTA.R/R can be improved, and
recorded magnetic information with a higher recording density can be read
out.