US Patent 7723984 Magnetic sensor and current sensor

The present invention provides a current sensor of smaller and simpler configuration, capable of measuring a current to be detected with high precision and stability. A magnetic sensor includes: an element substrate including a magnetoresistive element, the magnetoresistive element having a pinned layer with a magnetization pinned to a direction, an intermediate layer, and a free layer whose magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field; and a magnetic sheet attached on one side of the element substrate so as to apply a bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistive element.