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US 2009/0015252 A1Published application
Magnetoresistive Magnetic Field Sensor Structure
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsWolfgang Raberg, Juergen Zimmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic field sensor structure including a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a first reference magnetization direction and a second magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a second reference magnetization direction, wherein the first and second magnetoresistive elements are arranged in a layer vertically above each other and galvanically isolated from each other by an intermediate layer, and wherein the first and second reference magnetization directions are different.
Claims47
A magnetic field sensor structure comprising
- a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a first reference magnetization direction;
- and
- a second magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a second reference magnetization direction,
- wherein the first and second magnetoresistive elements are arranged in a layer stack vertically above each other and galvanically isolated from each other by an intermediate layer, and wherein the first and second reference magnetization directions are different.
1 more element
A magnetic field detection device comprising
- a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a first reference magnetization direction;
- and
- a second magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a second reference magnetization direction,
- wherein the first and second magnetoresistive elements are arranged in a layer stack vertically above each other and galvanically isolated from each other by an intermediate layer, and wherein the first and second reference magnetization directions are opposed to each other;
- and
- wherein the first and second magnetoresistive elements are connected in a bridge circuit such that, due to an inverse change in resistance values of the first and second magnetoresistive elements, a difference signal is detectable proportionally to a magnetic field and/or a magnetic field change between two bridge arms of the bridge circuit.
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A method of measuring a magnetic field and/or a magnetic field change, the method comprising:
- arranging a layer stack of a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a first reference magnetization direction and a second magnetoresistive element, galvanically isolated from the first magnetoresistive element, in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a second reference magnetization direction, the first and second reference magnetization directions being different;
- detecting a signal based on a first resistance change in the first magnetoresistive element and a second resistance change in the second magnetoresistive element which is inverse to the first resistance change on account of the magnetic field and/or the magnetic field change, the magnetic field and/or the magnetic field change being assignable to the signal detected.
A method of producing a magnetic field sensor structure, the method comprising:
- arranging a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a layer thickness DRL,1 and a first ferromagnetic layer structure with a layer thickness DPL,1;
- arranging a second magnetoresistive element, vertically above the first magnetoresistive element and galvanically isolated therefrom, in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a layer thickness DRL,2 and a second ferromagnetic layer structure with a layer thickness DPL,2, wherein a first layer thickness ratio of the layer thickness DPL,1 to the layer thickness DRL,1 is greater than 1, and a layer thickness ratio of the layer thickness DPL,2 to the layer thickness DRL,2 is smaller than 1;
- and
- exposing the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element to a magnetization field with an advantageous magnetization direction during a magnetization write-in process in order to achieve different reference magnetization directions in the first and second reference layer structures.
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A method of producing a magnetic field sensor structure, the method comprising:
- arranging a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a layer thickness DRL,1 and a first ferromagnetic layer structure with a layer thickness DPL,1;
- arranging a second magnetoresistive element, vertically above the first magnetoresistive element and galvanically isolated therefrom, in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure;
- wherein a first layer thickness ratio of the layer thickness DPL,1 to the layer thickness DRL,1 is greater than 1;
- and
- exposing the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element to a magnetization field with an advantageous magnetization direction during a magnetization write-in process in order to achieve different reference magnetization directions in the first and second reference layer structures.
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A method of producing a magnetic field sensor structure, the method comprising:
- arranging a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with an odd number of ferromagnetic layer structures which may be antiferromagnetically coupled to one other;
- arranging a second magnetoresistive element, vertically above the first magnetoresistive element and galvanically isolated therefrom, in a spin-valve arrangement with an even number of ferromagnetic layer structures which may be antiferromagnetically coupled to one other;
- and
- exposing the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element to a magnetization field with an advantageous magnetization direction during a magnetization write-in process in order to achieve a first ferromagnetic reference layer structure of the first magnetoresistive element and a second ferromagnetic reference layer structure of the second magnetoresistive element, which comprise different reference magnetization directions.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.