A method for manufacturing a magnetoresistive multilayer film. An antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned-magnetization layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free-magnetization layer are laminated on a substrate in this order. A film for the antiferromagnetic layer is deposited by a sputtering process as oxygen gas is added to a gas for sputtering. A film for an extra layer interposed between the substrate and the antiferromagnetic layer is deposited by a sputtering process as oxygen gas is added to a gas for sputtering. A film for the antiferromagnetic layer is deposited by a sputtering process with a gas mixture of argon and another gas of larger atomic number than argon.