Robert Boschgmbh

Henrik Siegle

Ulrich May

Peter Schmollngruber

Gunther Karl Haas

Ingo Herrmann

Paul Farber

Hartmut Kittel

Frank Fischer

Franz Jost

Klaus Marx

Thomas Klotzbuecher

Axel Wenzler

Marcus Schneider

Joachim Platzer

Ralf Noltemeyer

Martin Freitag

Georg Stellmann

Sebastian Jackisch

Peter Hein

Lutz Dorfmueller

Dietmar Steiner

Detlef Gruen

David Heisenberg

Maik Rabe

Ralf Moenikes

Andrew Johnson

Gunter Haas

David Schütz

Tania Gonzalez Baquet

A magnetoresistive layer system, in an environment of a magnetoresistive layer stack that works particularly on the basis of the GMR effect or the AMR effect, a layer array being provided which generates a magnetic field which acts upon the magnetoresistive layer stack, and the layer array having at least one hard magnetic layer and at least one soft magnetic layer. Furthermore, a sensor element, particularly for the detection of magnetic fields with respect to their strength and/or direction, having such a layer system.

Magnetoresistive layer system and sensor element having this layer system

A GMR sensor element is proposed, having a rotationally symmetrical positioning of especially eight GMR resistor elements which are connected to each other to form two Wheatstone's full bridges. This GMR sensor element is especially suitable for use in an angle sensor for the detection of the absolute position of the camshaft or the crankshaft in a motor vehicle, particularly in the case of a camshaft-free engine having electrical or electrohydraulic valve timing, of a motor position of an electrically commutated motor, or of detection of a windshield wiper position, or in the steering angle sensor system in motor vehicles.

GMR sensor element and its use

The present invention relates to a method for producing a GMR structure in which a metallic multiple layer is applied onto a carrier and in which the metallic multiple layer is patterned to produce the GMR structure, the carrier having a structure before the metallic multiple layer is applied and the patterning of the metallic multiple layer is performed by CMP. The present invention also relates to a GMR structure having a carrier and a patterned metallic multiple layer positioned on the carrier, the patterned metallic multiple layer being situated in one or more depressions of the carrier. In addition, the present invention relates to a use of GMR structures.

Giant magnetoresistance structure

A device for angle measurement, having at least one transducer wheel and at least one sensor, including at least one sensor element and cooperating with the transducer wheel, in which by means of the cooperation of the transducer wheel and the sensor, a pair, which can be associated with an angle to be measured, comprising one sine-wave signal and one cosine-wave signal can be obtained, in which at least two sensors are provided, whose sine-wave signals and cosine-wave signals, for obtaining an averaged sine-wave signal and averaged cosine-wave signal, and/or after the formation of an arc tangent signal from the respective averaged or unaveraged sine-wave signals or cosine-wave signals, can be put computationally into relation with one another by means of an evaluation device in order to obtain an averaged arc tangent signal.

Device and method for measuring angles

A magnetoresistive sensor element is provided, having a magnetoresistive layer system which, in top view, is at least regionally striated. The sensor element operates on the basis of the GMR effect and is constructed according to the spin valve principle, the striated layer system featuring a reference layer having a direction of magnetization substantially uninfluenced by a direction of an outer magnetic field acting on it. During operation, the sensor element provides a measuring signal which changes as a function of a measurement angle between the component of the field strength of the outer magnetic field lying in the plane of the layer system, and the direction of magnetization, and from which this measurement angle is able to be ascertained. In addition, observed in a top view of the striated layer system, the angle between the direction of magnetization in the absence of the outer magnetic field and the longitudinal direction of the striated layer system is set in such a way that in response to an influence of the outer magnetic field having a defined field strength, which is selected from a predefined work interval, the angle error of the layer system, as a function of this angle and the field strength, is minimal.

Magnetoresistive sensor element and method for reducing the angular error of a magnetoresistive sensor element

A magnetoresistive layer system including a layer sequence including at least two magnetic layers, a non-magnetic, electrically conductive intermediate layer being arranged between them; the electrical resistance of the layer system being changeable as a function of an external magnetic field acting on the layer system. At least one magnetically hard layer is integrated in the layer system, at least in certain areas, applying a magnetic field at least in the area of a boundary surface between the magnetic layers and the intermediate layer. The magnetoresistive layer system is suitable in particular for use in a GMR sensor element including coupled multilayers or in an AMR sensor element having a barberpole structure. In addition, the system includes a gradiometer including a plurality of such layer systems.

Magneto-resistive layer arrangement and gradiometer with said layer arrangement

A position transmitter includes at least one magnetoresistive sensor and an associated magnetic multipole wheel having a large number of uniformly arranged pole pairs (). The at least one sensor comprises first, second third, and fourth magnetoresistive resistors that are electrically connected as a Wheatstone bridge with four half bridges, with a voltage UO being fed in one bridge diagonal and a sinusoidal or cosinusoidal signal being produced on the other diagonal. A distance (d) between the first and second or third and fourth resistors located paral el to one another is selected with reference to a scanning direction of the multipole wheel, such that it is not equal the wavelength of a pole pair. A distance between the first and second resistors and between the third and fourth resistors is the same.

Position transmitter with at least one magnetoresistive sensor and associated magnetic multipole wheel

A method of adjusting or locally modifying the direction of magnetization of a ferromagnetic layer in a magnetoresistive layer system using a heat stamp is described, the ferromagnetic layer being stabilized over an antiferromagnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer is heated, using a heat stamp, over a threshold temperature, above which the influence of this layer on the direction of magnetization of the adjacent ferromagnetic layer disappears; subsequently, the ferromagnetic layer is exposed to an external magnetic field of a predefined direction, and finally the antiferromagnetic layer is cooled again below the threshold temperature. In addition, a heat stamp having a base body and a heatable stamp structure connected to the base body and matching the dimensions of or similar to the magnetoresistive layer system is described. The heat stamp and the method described are suitable in particular for manufacturing a magnetoresistive layer system operating by the spin valve principle, which has a plurality of magnetoresistive layer systems having at least partially different resulting directions of magnetization in the particular layers, the magnetoresistive layer systems being interconnected in the form of a Wheatstone bridge in particular.

Method of adjusting or locally modifying a magnetization in a layer of a magnetoresistive layer system, heat stamp for heating the magnetoresistive layer system, and use of same

A device for measuring an angle and/or the torque acting on a rotatable body is proposed according to the invention, whereby the rotational angle is detected by means of magnetic or optical sensors. In particular, in a preferred exemplary embodiment, two devices () are proposed, each of which comprises two optically readable code tracks. The two code tracks (or) on one device (or) are similar in design and are offset in relation to each other, so that associated sensors () output a digital signal. The rotational angle is calculated based on the lag between the two digital signals. In a further embodiment it is provided that a torsion element () having a known torsional stiffness is situated between the two devices (). Torque transferred by the rotatable body () can also be calculated therefore from the angular difference of the two devicesThe device is used preferably in the steering axle of a motor vehicle.

Device for measuring the angle and/or the angular velocity of a rotatable body and/or the torque acting upon said body

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Leonberg, Germany

Henrik Siegle