Mobile information terminal apparatus and magnetic sensor, including magnetoresistive detecting device

A magnetic sensor comprising:

• a multi-axis magnetic sensor unit;
• an integrated circuit configured to have a predetermined function;
• and
• a substrate on which both the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit and the integrated circuit are disposed, the substrate having a plane surface and a plurality of sloping surfaces;
• wherein the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit includes a plurality of single-axis magnetic sensors, each of the single-axis magnetic sensors including
• a soft magnetic film disposed on a different one of the sloping surfaces and being magnetized according to strength of a magnetic field, and
• a detecting device disposed on the plane surface and including a free layer and a pinned layer and configured to produce a detection output according to magnetization of the free layer and the pinned layer, and wherein
• for said each of the single-axis magnetic sensors,
• the corresponding soft magnetic film is magnetically coupled with the free layer of the corresponding detecting device, and the corresponding soft magnetic film is disposed on the corresponding sloping surface and on the plane surface, and
• the pinned layer of the corresponding detecting device has a magnetization direction different from magnetization directions of pinned layers of other ones of the single-axis magnetic sensors included in the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit, and
• the plurality of single-axis magnetic sensors are disposed around a periphery of the integrated circuit,
• and the detecting device is a magnetoresistive device which is one of a tunneling magnetoresistive device and a giant magnetoresistance device.

A mobile information terminal apparatus having a magnetic sensor including:

• a substrate having a plane surface and a plurality of sloping surfaces;
• a plurality of soft magnetic films, each soft magnetic film amongst the soft magnetic films being disposed on a corresponding sloping surface of the sloping surfaces and being magnetized according to strength of a magnetic field;
• and
• a plurality of detecting devices, each detecting device being disposed on the plane surface and including a free layer and a pinned layer, and being configured to produce a detection output according to magnetization of the free layer and the pinned layer;
• wherein said each soft magnetic film amongst the soft magnetic films is magnetically coupled with the free layer of a corresponding detecting device amongst the detecting devices and is disposed on the corresponding sloping surface and on the plane surface,
• the pinned layers of the detecting devices have magnetization directions different from each other, and
• each of the detecting devices is a magnetoresistive device which is one of a tunneling magnetoresistive device and a giant magnetoresistance device.

A mobile information terminal apparatus having a magnetic sensor including:

• a multi-axis magnetic sensor unit;
• an integrated circuit configured to have a predetermined function;
• and
• a substrate on which both the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit and the integrated circuit are disposed, the substrate having a plane surface and a plurality of sloping surfaces;
• wherein the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit includes a plurality of single-axis magnetic sensors, each of which includes
• a soft magnetic film disposed on a different one of the sloping surfaces and magnetized according to strength of a magnetic field, and
• a detecting device disposed on the plane surface and including a free layer and a pinned layer and configured to produce a detection output according to magnetization of the free layer and the pinned layer, wherein
• for each of the plurality of single-axis magnetic sensors, the corresponding soft magnetic film is magnetically coupled with the free layer of the corresponding detecting device, the corresponding soft magnetic film is disposed on the corresponding sloping surface and on the plane surface, and the pinned layer of the corresponding detecting device has a magnetization direction different from magnetization directions of pinned layers of other ones of the single-axis magnetic sensors included in the multi-axis magnetic sensor unit, and wherein
• the single-axis magnetic sensors are disposed around a periphery of the integrated circuit, and
• the detecting device is a magnetoresistive device which is one of a tunneling magnetoresistive device and a giant magnetoresistance device.