Method of measuring temperature of tunnel magnetoresistive effect element
US7815369B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 20, 2008 |
| Grant date | Oct 19, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 13, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/1107
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of measuring temperature of a TMR element includes a step of obtaining in advance a temperature coefficient of element resistance of a discrete TMR element that is not mounted on an apparatus, by measuring temperature versus element resistance value characteristic of the discrete TMR element in a state that a breakdown voltage is intentionally applied to the discrete TMR element and a tunnel barrier layer of the discrete TMR element is brought into a stable conductive state, a step of bringing a tunnel barrier layer of a TMR element actually mounted on the apparatus into a stable conductive state by intentionally applying the breakdown voltage to the mounted TMR element having the same structure as that of the discrete TMR element whose temperature coefficient has been measured, a step of measuring an element resistance value of the mounted TMR element with the tunnel barrier layer that has been brought into a stable conductive state, and a step of obtaining a temperature corresponding to the measured element resistance value from the previously measured temperature coefficient of element resistance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.