# US 6,297,628 B1 · Magnetoresistive bridge array

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- Number: US 6,297,628 B1
- Document ID: US6297628B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/270,715
- Filed: 1999-03-17
- Granted: 2001-10-02
- Earliest claimed: 1998-11-17
- Assignees: Honeywell Inc.
- Inventors: Robert E. Bicking; Greg R. Furlong; Perry A. Holman; Ed L. Stern
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6297628B1

## CPC

- G01D 5/145: {influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06)}
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An interleaved parallel MR bridge array is optimized for sensing fine pitch ring magnets and can be utilized to reduce ring magnet target size for wheel speed sensing applications.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A magnetoresistive bridge array comprising:
a.) first, second, third, and fourth resistive elements, R1-R4 respectively, connected in a bridge electrical configuration on a surface of a silicon substrate;
b.) each of the first through fourth resistive elements made up of a plurality of longitudinal runners shorted at the ends thereof and whose longitudinal axes are parallel to each other; and
c.) the array being divided into two halves:
1) a fist half being composed of interleaved parallel runners R1 and R3,
2) a second half being composed of interleaved parallel runners of R2 and R4, and
3) the center to center spacing between array halves is set to be about or equal to 0.5 of a pole face of a ring magnet sensed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 1 wherein:
there are from 3 to 6 runners for each resistive element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 2 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, y, format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 2 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, x, format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 2 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, 2x, y format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 2 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, 2x, 2y, x format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 1 wherein:
each runner is from about 25 to about 35 microns wide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 7 wherein:
each runner is about or equal to 28 microns wide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 1 wherein:
each runner is from about 150 to about 250 angstroms thick.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 9 wherein:
each runner is about or equal to 175 angstroms thick.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 1 wherein:
there is from about 3 to about 5 microns spacing between adjacent runners.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 11 wherein:
the spacing is about or equal to 3 microns between adjacent runners.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 1 wherein:
the length of each runner is from about 0.5 to about 1.0 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 13 wherein:
the length of each runner is about or equal to 0.76 mm.

### Claim 15

A magnetoresistive bridge array and ring magnet target comprising:
a.) first, second, third, and fourth resistive elements, R1-R4 respectively, connected in wheatstone bridge electrical configuration on a surface of a silicon substrate;
b.) each of the first through fourth resistive element made up of a plurality of longitudinal runners shorted at the ends thereof and whose longitudinal axes are parallel to each other;
c. ) the array being divided into two halves:
a fist half being composed of interleaved parallel runners R1 and R3,
a second half being composed of interleaved parallel runners of R2 and R4;
d.) a ring magnet of N dimension for each pole face; and
e.) the array halves having a center to center spacing of 0.5 N.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 15 wherein:
there are from 3 to 6 runners for each resistive element.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 16 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, y, format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 16 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, x, format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 16 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, 2x, y format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 16 wherein:
the runners are arranged in an x, 2y, 2x, 2y, 2x, 2y, x format where x=runner of R4 and R3 and y=runner of R1 and R2.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 16 wherein:
each runner is from about 25 to about 35 microns wide.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 21 wherein:
each runner is from about 150 to about 250 angstroms thick.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 22 wherein:
there is from about 3 to about 5 microns spacing between adjacent runners.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The magnetoresistive bridge array of claim 23 wherein:
the length of each runner is from about 0.5 to about 1.0 mm.