# US 10,374,004 B2 · Integrated circuit with hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensors

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- Number: US 10,374,004 B2
- Document ID: US10374004B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/257,410
- Filed: 2019-01-25
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-15
- Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated
- Applicants: Texas Instruments Incorporated
- Inventors: Dok Won Lee; William David French; Keith Ryan Green
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374004B2

## CPC

- H10B 61/00: Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
- H10N 52/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 52/101: {Semiconductor Hall-effect devices}
- H10N 52/80: Constructional details
- H10N 59/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one galvanomagnetic or Hall-effect element covered by groups H10N50/00 - H10N52/00 (MRAM devices H10B61/00)
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Disclosed examples provide wafer-level integration of magnetoresistive sensors and Hall-effect sensors in a single integrated circuit, in which one or more vertical and/or horizontal Hall sensors are formed on or in a substrate along with transistors and other circuitry, and a magnetoresistive sensor circuit is formed in the IC metallization structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
a substrate having a top surface,
a Hall effect sensor circuit formed at least partially on or in the substrate, wherein the Hall effect sensor circuit comprises a Hall sensor for sensing magnetic fields oriented parallel or horizontal to the top surface of the substrate; and
a magnetoresistive sensor circuit formed in a metallization structure located over the substrate,
the Hall effect sensor and the magnetoresistive sensor circuit being configured to cooperate to detect 360° rotation of the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The IC of claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit comprises:
a first magnetoresistive sensor including a first set of magnetoresistive sections extending in a first section direction in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface; and
a second magnetoresistive sensor including a second set of magnetoresistive sections extending in a second different section direction in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface;
wherein the first section directions are offset 45 degrees from the second section directions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The IC of claim 2, wherein the first and second section directions differ by about 45°.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The IC of claim 2, wherein the first magnetoresistive sensor includes a third set of magnetoresistive sections extending in a third different section direction in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface, and the second magnetoresistive sensor includes a fourth set of magnetoresistive sections extending in a fourth different section direction in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The IC of claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit comprises at least one magnetoresistive sensor, including four magnetoresistive sections connected in a bridge circuit, the individual magnetoresistive sections extending parallel to the top surface of the substrate in the metallization structure from a first section end to a second section end, the individual magnetoresistive sections comprising:
a base layer comprising tantalum nitride, the base layer electrically coupled with a first conductive structure proximate the first section end, the base layer electrically coupled with a second conductive structure proximate the second section end;
a nickel iron alloy layer extending over at least a portion of the base layer; and
an aluminum nitride layer extending over at least a portion of the nickel iron alloy layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The IC of claim 5, wherein the individual magnetoresistive sections comprise:
a first tungsten via structure extending from a bottom side of the base layer proximate the first section end to a first conductive structure; and
a second tungsten via structure extending from the bottom side of the base layer proximate the second section end to a second conductive structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The IC of claim 1, further comprising:
a current source circuit formed at least partially on or in the substrate to provide a current signal to the Hall effect sensor circuit; and
a plurality of voltage readout circuits formed at least partially on or in the substrate to sense a corresponding voltage signal from one of the Hall effect sensor circuit and the magnetoresistive sensor circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The IC of claim 1, wherein the Hall effect sensor circuit is located at least partially between the magnetoresistive sensor circuit and the substrate top surface.

### Claim 9

An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
a substrate having a top surface,
a Hall effect sensor circuit formed at least partially on or in the substrate, wherein the Hall effect sensor circuit comprises:
a vertical Hall sensor for sensing magnetic fields oriented parallel to the top surface of the substrate, the vertical Hall sensor including a Hall plate disposed in the substrate; and
a horizontal Hall sensor for sensing magnetic fields oriented perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate, the horizontal Hall sensor including a Hall plate disposed in the substrate;
a metallization structure disposed over the top surface of the substrate; and
a magnetoresistive sensor circuit formed in the metallization structure for sensing magnetic fields oriented parallel to the top surface of the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The IC of claim 9, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit comprises:
a first magnetoresistive sensor including a first set of magnetoresistive sections extending in first section directions in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface of the substrate, the first set of magnetoresistive sections connected in a first bridge circuit; and
a second magnetoresistive sensor including a second set of magnetoresistive sections extending in second section directions in the metallization structure parallel to the top surface of the substrate, the second set of magnetoresistive sections connected in a second bridge circuit;
wherein the first section directions are offset 45 degrees from the second section directions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The IC of claim 9, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit is formed in a top metallization layer of the metallization structure.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The IC of claim 9, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit comprises at least one magnetoresistive sensor, including four magnetoresistive sections connected in a bridge circuit, the individual magnetoresistive sections extending parallel to the top surface of the substrate in the metallization structure from a first section end to a second section end, the individual magnetoresistive sections comprising:
a base layer comprising tantalum nitride, the base layer electrically coupled with a first conductive structure proximate the first section end, the base layer electrically coupled with a second conductive structure proximate the second section end;
a nickel iron alloy layer extending over at least a portion of the base layer; and
an aluminum nitride layer extending over at least a portion of the nickel iron alloy layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The IC of claim 12, wherein the individual magnetoresistive sections comprise:
a first tungsten via structure extending from a bottom side of the base layer proximate the first section end to a first conductive structure; and
a second tungsten via structure extending from the bottom side of the base layer proximate the second section end to a second conductive structure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The IC of claim 9, further comprising:
a current source circuit formed at least partially on or in the substrate to provide a current signal to the Hall effect sensor circuit; and
a plurality of voltage readout circuits formed at least partially on or in the substrate to sense a corresponding voltage signal from one of the Hall effect sensor circuit and the magnetoresistive sensor circuit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The IC of claim 9, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor circuit is disposed in the metallization structure at least partially above the Hall effect sensor circuit.