Thin-film magnetoresistance sensing element, combination thereof, and electronic device coupled to the combination
US9123875B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 2011 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N50/80
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thin film magnetoresistive sensor for detecting a magnetic field components perpendicular and parallel to the plane of the sensor substrate is disclosed. The sensing element comprises a free layer, a reference layer, and a spacer layer between the free layer and the reference layer. The easy-axis magnetization inherent to the material of the free layer is arranged to be perpendicular to the plane of the sensor substrate. The magnetization direction of the reference layer is confined to a direction parallel to the substrate plane. The reference layer consists of a ferromagnetic layer exchange coupled to an antiferromagnetic layer, or consists of a ferromagnetic layer having a higher coercive force than that of the free layer. The spacer layer is composed of an insulating material or a conductive material. The magnetoresistive sensor further includes an array of aforementioned sensing elements coupled to an electronic device to provide three-axis sensing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.