Nve Corporation

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

David J Brownell

Mark Christopher Tondra

John M Anderson

Edward M Shamble

David A Crow

Anthony D Popple

Thomas Boonstra

Catherine A Nordman

Peter Eames

Russ Beech

Catherine Ann Nordman

An MTJ sensor having low hysteresis and high sensitivity is disclosed. The MTJ sensor includes, in one embodiment, a bridge with first and second active MTJ elements and first and second passive MTJ elements connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. First and second magnetic shield elements are located over the first and second passive MTJ elements and form a gap therebetween that concentrates magnetic flux toward the first and second active MTJ elements. A three-dimensional coil is wound around the first and second magnetic shield elements with over-windings located over the first and second magnetic shield elements and under-windings located under the first and second magnetic shield elements, connected together by a plurality of vias adjacent the first and second magnetic shield elements.

Low hysteresis high sensitivity magnetic field sensor

A ferromagnetic thin-film based magnetic field detection system having a substrate supporting a magnetic field sensor in a channel with a first electrical conductor supported on the substrate positioned at least in part along the channel gap and in direct contact with at least some surface of the magnetic field sensor ands a second electrical conductor supported on the substrate positioned at least in part along the channel gap in a region thereof adjacent to, but separated from, the magnetic field sensor.

Magnetic particle flow detector

Methods for monitoring defects in a process for forming a contact hole, via or trench in a layer of a device in an integrated circuit includes the steps of forming a sacrificial topology on a substrate by duplicating at least a portion of a structure of the device while substituting a material substantially free of elemental silicon for any elemental silicon present in the device to be monitored, etching the sacrificial topology at least to the substrate, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial topology, and inspecting the substrate using a wafer surface inspection tool. The substituted material, such as a dielectric material, can be easily etched and removed from the substrate, as compared to polysilicon. The etching step preferably creates an indentation in the substrate that is readily detectable by the wafer surface inspection tool. The etching step is preferably a selective etching step, having a selectivity of at least 10:1. The actual devices are then formed using the same or substantially the same process parameters as were used in forming the sacrificial topology of the monitor according to the present invention, thus insuring that properly formed contact holes, vias and/or trenches will also be formed in the actual device or devices.

Contact monitor, method of forming same and method of analizing contact-, via- and/or trench-forming processes in an integrated circuit

Contact monitor, method of forming same and method of analyzing

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Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

David J Brownell