layers a and e and for the regions b c and d it will also be understood that while the term high relative permeability may be a relative term the same is understood by those of skill in the pertinent art to be accurately defined in the magnetoresistive memory context a further alternative is illustrated in two mutually orthogonal sections in fig2 a and 2b two magnetoresistive memory cells being illustrated between two layers f and h made of an electrically conductive or poorly insulating material having a high permeability the essential difference from the first alternative is however that the layers f and h make contact neither with the bit lines nor with the word lines rather they are isolated therefrom by an electrically insulating material having a relatively low relative permeability this makes it possible for example to use electrically conductive or poorly insulating materials having a high relative permeability since as a result of the electrically insulating material the bit and word lines and also the memory cells themselves are not short circuited or bridged the layers f and h may be composed of different or else identical electrically conductive or alternatively electrically non conductive materials having a high relative permeability electrically conductive layers having a high relative permeability are usually alloys of iron nickel and or cobalt the layer g can fill the entire space between the layers f and h and the memory cells together with word and bit lines the material of the layer g is an electrical insulator having a low relative permeability and is composed for example of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride in further embodiments it is also possible for only the regions b and or c and or d to be composed.