In a method for manufacturing a magnetic field sensing element including an electrode layer overlying a second antiferrogmagnetic layer and a first free magnetic layer where the electrode layer exposes a portion of the second magnetic layer, a portion of the second antiferromagnetic layer not covered with the electrode layer and a portion of the first free magnetic layer are removed using the electrode layer as a mask after laminating each layer to form a bottom type spin-valve thin film magnetic element, thereby enabling the first free magnetic layer to be endowed with a sufficient exchange coupling magnetic field by substantially eliminating the tapered portion of the remaining second antiferromagnetic layer thereby enabling the magnetization of the second free magnetic layer to be put into a single domain state.