MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT AND NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE USING SAME

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Disclosed is a magnetoresistive element having a configuration that can stably cause a switching action by means of current accompanying the application of a unipolar electric pulse. Further disclosed is a non-volatile semiconductor memory device using this magnetoresistive element. The magnetoresistive element (1-1) is provided with a magnetic tunnel junction section (13) configured from a vertically magnetized first magnetic body (22), an insulating layer (21), and a vertically magnetized second magnetic body (200), which are layered in the given order. The second magnetic body (200) has a configuration wherein a ferromagnetic layer and a rare earth transition metal alloy layer are layered in the given order from the boundary surface on the side of the insulating layer (21). A heat assist layer (28-1) that heats the second magnetic body (200) by means of heat generation deriving from current in the magnetic tunnel junction section (13) is further provided, and the direction of magnetization of the second magnetic body (200) is reversed by means of heating the second magnetic body (200). The non-volatile semiconductor memory device (10-1) is provided with the magnetoresistive element (1-1), a switch element connected in series thereto, an information rewrite means that writes or deletes by applying a write current to the magnetoresistive element (1-1), and a read means that reads recorded information from the amount of current in the magnetoresitive element (1-1).