Thin-film magnetoresistance sensing element, combination thereof, and electronic device coupled to the combination

摘要

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, which is 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 in order to provide three-axis sensing.

主权项

1. A thin-film magnetoresistive sensor element for detecting a magnetic field component perpendicular to a plane of a substrate of its deposition, comprising:
a single ferromagnetic free layer in which-an intrinsic easy axis of a material of the ferromagnetic free layer is set perpendicular to the plane of the substrate onto which the ferromagnetic free layer is deposited, a ferromagnetic reference layer in which a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic reference layer is constrained to lie parallel to the plane of the substrate, wherein the ferromagnetic reference layer either includes a ferromagnetic layer that is magnetically coupled to an antiferromagnetic layer, or includes a ferromagnetic layer that has higher coercivity than the ferromagnetic free layer, and a spacer layer between the ferromagnetic free layer and the ferromagnetic reference layer, wherein the spacer layer comprising either an insulating or a conducting material, wherein:
a direction of magnetization opposite to the ferromagnetic reference layer is a first reference layer, and the spacer layer includes an insulating first spacer layer between the first reference layer and the single free layer; andthe thin-film magnetoresistive sensor element further comprising a second reference layer separated from the single free layer by a conductive second spacer layer, the second reference layer having a magnetization direction opposite to the magnetization direction of the first reference layer, and wherein the insulating first spacer layer includes an oxide.