Magnetoresistive sensor having a shielding element with vortex magnetization
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsBernhard Endres, Andreas STRAßER, Juergen Zimmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetoresistive sensor includes at least one magnetoresistive element having a layer stack. The layer stack has at least one free layer that has a magnetization that is changeable in the layer plane and that varies depending on the field strength of an external magnetic field acting parallel to the layer plane. The magnetoresistive sensor furthermore has a shielding element that has a vortex magnetization with a closed flux in the layer plane, wherein the shielding element is configured, in the presence of the external magnetic field, to generate a linear magnetic stray field that is directed counter to the external magnetic field.
Claims20
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a magnetoresistive element having a layer stack that has a free layer, wherein the free layer has a magnetization that is changeable in a layer plane and that varies depending on a field strength of an external magnetic field acting parallel to the layer plane;
- and
- a shielding element that is configured, in a presence of the external magnetic field, to generate a linear magnetic stray field that is directed counter to the external magnetic field,
- wherein the shielding element has a first vortex magnetization with a first closed flux in the layer plane, and
- wherein the free layer has a vortex magnetization with a closed flux in the layer plane.
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a magnetoresistive element having a layer stack that has a free layer, wherein the free layer has a magnetization that is changeable in a layer plane and that varies depending on a field strength of an external magnetic field acting parallel to the layer plane;
- and
- a shielding element that is configured, in a presence of the external magnetic field, to generate a linear magnetic stray field that is directed counter to the external magnetic field,
- wherein the shielding element has a first vortex magnetization with a first closed flux in the layer plane,
- wherein the shielding element has a layer thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm.
A magnetoresistive sensor, comprising:
- a magnetoresistive element having a layer stack that has a free layer, wherein the free layer has a magnetization that is changeable in a layer plane and that varies depending on a field strength of an external magnetic field acting parallel to the layer plane;
- and
- a shielding element that is configured, in a presence of the external magnetic field, to generate a linear magnetic stray field that is directed counter to the external magnetic field,
- wherein the shielding element has a first vortex magnetization with a first closed flux in the layer plane,
- wherein, without the external magnetic field, the first vortex magnetization is in equilibrium, and
- wherein, in the presence of the external magnetic field, the first vortex magnetization shifts such that the shielding element generates the linear magnetic stray field outside of the shielding element to attenuate the external magnetic field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.