THIN-FILM DEVICE FOR DETECTING PHYSICAL QUANTITY, ESPECIALLY MAGNETIC FIELD, AND DETECTION METHOD CORRESPONDING THERETO

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic sensor for changing reluctance itself that is a function of an external magnetic field continuously. SOLUTION: In a thin-film device for detecting a magnetic field, the electric resistance (R) of the thin-film device itself that is a function of physical quantity to be detected is designed changeably. A nanoconstriction 20 includes at least two pads 22, 23 connected via a nanochannel 21. The two pads are made of a magnetic material having magnetization oriented in opposite directions substantially. The nanochannel 21 can create a domain wall 25 for determining the electric resistance (R) of the nanoconstriction 20 that is a function of the size (LDW, WDW) of the domain wall 25 formed in a sensor device. At least one section of the nanochannel 21 indicates size (LNC; TNC) changing along at least one axis x as a function of the physical quantity of various values to be detected. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT