Mesoscopic non-magnetic semiconductor magnetoresistive sensors fabricated with island lithography

US6353317B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE · GB
• NEC Research Institute, Inc. · US
• MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION · JP

Inventors

• Mino Green · London, GB
• Koichi Sassa · Kyoto, JP
• Stuart A. Solin · Chesterfield, US
• Richard A. Stradling · London, GB
• Shin Tsuchiya · Tokyo, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 19, 2000
• Grant date: Mar 5, 2002
• Expiry date: Jan 19, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N52/85
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Mesoscopic magnetic field sensors which can detect weak magnetic fields (typically 0.05 Tesla) over areas as small as tens of thousands of square nanometers (e.g. 40 nm×400 nm). The combination of enhanced magneto-resistance in an inhomogeneous high mobility semiconductor, having special electrode arrangements, with the use of island lithography, enables the production of special semiconductor/metal nano-composite structures, and has made possible the fabrication of an entirely new type of magnetic field sensor which exhibits very superior magneto-resistive behavior.