Two-axis magnetic field sensor with multiple pinning directions
US7965077B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jun 21, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 23, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01F41/304
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A fabrication process and apparatus provide a high-performance magnetic field sensor (200) from two differential sensor configurations (201, 211) which require only two distinct pinning axes (206, 216) which are formed from a single reference layer (60) that is etched into high aspect ratio shapes (62, 63) with their long axes drawn with different orientations so that, upon treating the reference layers with a properly aligned saturating field (90) and then removing the saturating field, the high aspect ratio patterns provide a shape anisotropy that forces the magnetization of each patterned shape (62, 63) to relax along its respective desired axis. Upon heating and cooling, the ferromagnetic film is pinned in the different desired directions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.