A magnetoresistive effect element may be given satisfactory magnetic characteristics because a deterioration of a magnetoresistive changing rate by annealing can be suppressed and a magnetic memory device includes this magnetoresistive effect element to provide excellent write characteristics.
A magnetoresistive effect element has a pair of ferromagnetic layers (magnetization fixed layer 5 and magnetization free layer 7) opposed to each other through an intermediate layer 6 to cause an electric current to flow in the direction perpendicular to the layer surface to obtain a magnetoresistive change. A magnetic memory device comprises the magnetoresistive effect element 1 in which at least one of the pair of ferromagnetic layers 5, 7 contains an amorphous ferromagnetic material whose crystallization temperature is higher than 623k and bit lines and word lines sandwiching this magnetoresistive effect element and the magnetoresistive effect element in the thickness direction.