US 2019/0293735 A1 · MAGNETIC SENSOR

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to enhance detection accuracy of a magnetic sensor having four bridge-connected magnetic sensing elements. A magnetic sensor includes magnetic layers 41-43 provided on a surface of the sensor substrate 20 and bridge-connected magnetic sensing elements R1-R4. The magnetic layer 41 includes a main area M1 and a converging area S1 having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the main area M1, the magnetic layer 42 includes a main area M2 and converging areas S5, S7 each having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the main area M2, and the magnetic layer 43 includes a main area M3 and converging areas S6, S8 each having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the main area M3. The end portions of the converging areas S1-S4 and the end portions of the converging areas S5-S8 face each other, respectively, through gaps G1-G4, respectively. The magnetic sensing elements R1-R4 are disposed on magnetic paths formed by the gaps G1-G4, respectively. According to the present invention, detection accuracy is enhanced because a magnetic flux generated by current flowing in one magnetic sensing element does not affect the other sensing element.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A magnetic sensor comprising:

a sensor substrate;
first, second, and third magnetic layers provided on the sensor substrate;
and
first, second, third, and fourth magnetic sensing elements that are bridge-connected,
wherein the first magnetic layer includes a first main area and first, second, third, and fourth converging areas each having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the first main area,
wherein the second magnetic layer includes a second main area and fifth and seventh converging areas each having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the second main area,
wherein the third magnetic layer includes a third main area and sixth and eighth converging areas each having a width gradually reduced with increasing distance from the third main area,
wherein end portions of the first, second, third, and fourth converging areas and end portions of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth converging areas face each other, respectively, through first, second, third, and fourth gaps, respectively, and
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth magnetic sensing elements are disposed on magnetic paths formed by the first, second, third, and fourth gaps, respectively.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetic sensor

Life of this patent

Magnetic sensor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15