# US 10,863,908 B2 · Sensor including a structure body having a deforming portion and a first sensing element provided at the defroming portion and microphone, blood pressure sensor, and touch panel including same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,908 B2 - Document ID: US10863908B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/293,689 - Filed: 2019-03-06 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-29 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Kazuaki Okamoto; Yoshihiko Fuji; Yoshihiro Higashi; Shotaro Baba; Michiko Hara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863908B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/02141: {Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits (A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence)} - B81B 3/0021: {Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00)} - B81B 3/0078: {Constitution or structural means for improving mechanical properties not provided for in B81B3/007 - B81B3/0075} - G01L 1/125: {by using magnetostrictive means (magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101)} - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - H04R 15/00: Magnetostrictive transducers (magnetostrictive elements in general H10N30/00) - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - B81B 2201/0257: Microphones or microspeakers - G06F 3/04144: {using an array of force sensing means (position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447)} - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A sensor includes a structure body including a deforming portion, and a first sensing element provided at the deforming portion. The first sensing element includes first to fourth magnetic layers and a first intermediate layer. The first magnetic layer is provided between the second and third magnetic layers. The fourth magnetic layer is provided between the first and third magnetic layers. The first intermediate layer is provided between the second and first magnetic layers. The third magnetic layer includes at least one of a first material or a second material. The first material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Ir—Mn, Pt—Mn, Pd—Pt—Mn, and Ru—Rh—Mn. The second material includes at least one of CoPt, (CoxPt100-x)100-yCry, or FePt. A crystallinity of at least a portion of the fourth magnetic layer is higher than a crystallinity of the first magnetic layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor, comprising: a structure body including a deforming portion, the deforming portion being deformable; and a first sensing element provided at the deforming portion, the first sensing element including first to fourth magnetic layers and a first intermediate layer, the first magnetic layer being provided between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, the fourth magnetic layer being provided between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, the first intermediate layer being provided between the second magnetic layer and the first magnetic layer, the third magnetic layer including at least one of a first material or a second material, the first material including at least one selected from the group consisting of Ir—Mn, Pt—Mn, Pd—Pt—Mn, and Ru—Rh—Mn, the second material including at least one of CoPt (a ratio of Co being not less than 50 at. % and not more than 85 at. %), (CoxPt100-x)100-yCry (x being not less than 50 at. % and not more than 85 at. %, and y being not less than 0 at. % and not more than 40 at. %), or FePt (a ratio of Pt being not less than 40 at. % and not more than 60 at. %), a crystallinity of at least a portion of the fourth magnetic layer being higher than a crystallinity of the first magnetic layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first magnetic layer is amorphous, and the at least a portion of the fourth magnetic layer includes a crystal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the fourth magnetic layer is 1.4 nm or more. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sensor according to claim 3, wherein a distance between the first magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer is 1 nm or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sensor according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of the first magnetic layer is 5 nm or more. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the fourth magnetic layer to a thickness of the first magnetic layer is not less than 0.175 and not more than 0.3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer includes Fe and B, and the fourth magnetic layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sensor according to claim 7, wherein the first sensing element further includes an intermediate magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the first intermediate layer, the intermediate magnetic layer includes Fe, Co, and B, and a concentration of Co included in the first magnetic layer is lower than a concentration of Co included in the intermediate magnetic layer, or the first magnetic layer does not include Co. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing element further includes a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer, and the first nonmagnetic layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ru, Au, Ag, Cr, Ir, and Mg. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sensor according to claim 9, wherein the first nonmagnetic layer contacts the first magnetic layer and the fourth magnetic layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing element further includes a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the fourth magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, and the second nonmagnetic layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ru, Au, Ag, Cr, Ir, and Mg. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor according to claim 11, wherein the second nonmagnetic layer contacts the fourth magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer includes oxygen and at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Zn, and Ga. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein an electrical resistance of the first sensing element changes according to a deformation of the deforming portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a first magnetization of the first magnetic layer is tilted with respect to a second magnetization of the second magnetic layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the structure body further includes a supporter, the deforming portion includes a connection portion connected to the supporter, the connection portion is aligned with a first connection direction, and a first magnetization of the first magnetic layer is tilted with respect to the first connection direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The sensor according to claim 1, wherein an absolute value of an angle between the first magnetization and the first connection direction is not less than 10 degrees and not more than 80 degrees. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A microphone, comprising the sensor according to claim 1, wherein the deforming portion is deformable by sound. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A blood pressure sensor, comprising the sensor according to claim 1, wherein the deforming portion is deformable by blood pressure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A touch panel, comprising the sensor according to claim 1, wherein the deforming portion is deformable by touch.