Analog Devices International Unlimited Company

Analog Devices Global

Sensitec Gmbh

Analog Devices Global Unlimited Company

Universitat Bielefeld

Igedi Gbr

Microcoat Biotechnologie Gmbh

Bit Analytical Instruments Gmbh

Ernst Reiner Gmbh & Co. Kg

I-Sys Mikro- Und Feinwerktechnik Gmbh

Aci Ag

Jochen Schmitt

Jan Kubik

Gavin Patrick Cosgrave

Monsoon Dutt

Enda Joseph Nicholl

Peter James Tonge

Enno Lage

Eoin Edward English

Alfonso Berduque

Michael P Lynch

Jan Kubík

Stanislav Jolondcovschi

Alan J O'Donnell

Padraig Fitzgerald

Javier Calpe Maravilla

Shaun Bradley

Aude Richard

Stephen O'Brien

Yogesh Jayaraman Sharma

Wenmei Wang

Brian O'Mara

Michael Mueller-Aulmann

John O'Dowd

Uwe Loreit

Robert Guyol

Jonathan Ephraim David Hurwitz

Michael W Judy

David Frank Bolognia

Arthur Joseph Kalb

Boris Lerner

Harvey Weinberg

Vikram Venkatadri

Dermot G O'Keeffe

Sefa Demirtas

Johannes Paul

Ulrich Gengenbach

Onur Necdet Urs

Christian Nau

Colin P Giles

Paul R Blanchard

Claudia Glenske

Michael J Cusack

Ronald Lehndorff

Stephen A Bradshaw

Christopher W Hyde

Karl Harter

Uwe Brenk

Colin McIntosh

Sebastian Weber

Jürgen Wahrhusen

Victor L Iseli

Michael Joseph Browne

Peter Meehan

Fernando Franco

Paul Blanchard, Iii

Md Tarequzzaman

Cian Padraic O Dalaigh

Bryan Patricio Aguiar Gonzalez

Michael J Clifford

Javier Calpe

Joerg Traute

Markus Dickerhof

Harald Waltenberger

Andreas Glathe

Michael Lorenz

Herbert Seemann

Andreas Hütten

Günter Müller

Jürgen RÜHL

Stephen Morris

Jörg Traute

Josef Gentischer

Aspects of the present disclosure include using particles in phase change materials to track temperature change of an object. The particles may be initially disposed at specific locations within the phase change materials. As the phase change materials transition from the solid state to the fluid state, the particles may move from the initial locations to different locations. The change in locations of the particles may be detected magnetically, electrically, optically, and/or visually. Such change may indicate that the object experienced a temperate above at least one phase transition temperature of the phase change materials.

Apparatuses and methods for temperature detection using pressure sensor

Aspects of this disclosure relate to adjusting fluid flow using magnetically sensitive particles. Fluid can flow through an opening in a container. Magnetically sensitive particles can be confined within the container. A magnetic field can be applied to move the magnetically sensitive particles in the container to adjust flow of the fluid through the opening.

Flow adjustment based on particle movement in response to magnetic field

Aspects of this disclosure relate to particles that can move in response to a magnetic field. A system can include a container, particles within the container, and a magnetic structure integrated with the container. The magnetic structure can magnetically interact with both an external magnetic field and the particles. Related methods are disclosed including magnetic field detection methods based on detection of particles within a container.

Magnetically sensitive particles and magnetic structure

A magnetic sensor package comprising a magnetic multi-turn sensor die and a magnetic single turn sensor die, in which both sensor dies are packaged on the same lead frame. A method of manufacturing the magnetic sensor package is also provided. A magnetic sensor system comprising a rotating magnet and the magnetic sensor package, where the sensor package is arranged so that both sensor dies sit within a homogenous magnetic field, thereby ensuring that the output signal of each sensor is not corrupted by any stray fields.

Magnetic sensor package and magnetic sensing system

The techniques described are applicable to closed-loop magnetic multi-turn sensors including giant magnetoresistance (GMR-MT) sensors as well as tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) multi-turn sensors. Techniques, e.g., lithography techniques, are described to form crossings so that a distortion of an ideal shape is reduced or minimized. Another aspect describes techniques to modify the material thickness and/or magnetic properties in such an area of the crossing. Yet another aspect describes techniques to locally weaken the applied field in the area of the crossing to prevent nucleation events in this area. The techniques described are applicable to closed-loop magnetic multi-turn sensors including giant magnetoresistance (GMR-MT) sensors as well as tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) multi-turn sensors.

Magnetic multi-turn sensor structures and fabrication

Aspects of this disclosure relate to one or more particles that move within a container in response to a magnetic field. A measurement circuit is configured to output an indication of the magnetic field based on position of the one or more particles.

Magnetic field measurement using container with particle

A tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) multi-turn (MT) sensor can include sensing elements which can be provided with two or more electrical contacts for performing current-in-plane tunnelling measurements. The two or more electrical contacts may be provided above or below the TMR sensing elements. One or more read-out pillars formed from TMR sensing material may be provided, the read-out pillars being electrically connected to one or more TMR sensing elements. The read-out pillars can be configured such that the resistance observed in the read-out pillars is negligible or near-negligible relative to that observed in the TMR sensing elements, such that the measured output signal only reflects the change in resistance experience by the TMR sensing elements in the presence of an externally rotating magnetic field.

Methods for tunnel magnetoresistance multi-turn sensor manufacture and read-out

The present disclosure provides magnetic sensor system that includes a magnet mounted on the end of a rotating shaft, a magnetic sensing device comprising a magnetic multi-turn sensor, and a mechanism for initializing the magnetic multi-turn sensor into a known state ready for use. Whilst the magnetic sensing device is being used to monitor the rotation of the shaft, the magnet is located in a starting position a first distance from the magnet sensing device such that the magnet field strength experienced by the magnet sensing device is within the operating window of the magnet multi-turn sensor, the operating window being defined by a minimum magnetic flux density, Bmin, and a maximum magnetic flux density, Bmax. The mechanism comprises a means for moving the magnet and the shaft in an axial direction towards the magnet sensing device such that the magnetic field experienced by the magnet sensing device exceeds the upper limit, Bmax, of the operating window. This causes domain wall nucleation, whereby the sensor spiral is filled with domain walls that magnetise all of the magnetoresistive elements into the same state. Once the initialization has taken place, the mechanism is configured to return the magnet to its starting position ready for use. In this respect, the mechanism may have a biasing means such as a spring that biases the magnet towards the starting position.

Magnetic sensor system with initialization mechanism

The present disclosure provides a magnetic field sensor system, comprising an AMR magnetic field sensor and an overcurrent detection sensor. The overcurrent detection sensor comprises an AMR sensing element connected in a half bride arrangement with a field insensitive component. The output of the overcurrent detection sensor is able to monitor the strength of the magnetic field experiences by the sensor system, and detect if the magnet field goes beyond a sensing threshold of the AMR magnetic field sensor. Outside of this threshold, the AMR magnet field sensor is unable to provide a measurement of the magnetic field strength. The overcurrent detection sensor can therefore detect that the system is operating in very high magnetic fields, which in turn can indicate that there is overcurrent in the system.

Magnetic field sensor with overcurrent detection

A giant magnetoresistance (GMR) element is provided for use in a magnetic multi-turn sensor in which the free layer, that is, the layer that changes its magnetization direction in response to an external magnetic field so as to provide a resistance change, is thick enough to provide good shape anisotropy without exhibiting an AMR effect. To achieve this, at least a portion of the free layer comprises a plurality of layers of at least two different materials, specifically, a plurality of layers of at least a first material that is ferromagnetic and a plurality of layers of at least a second material that is known not to exhibit an AMR effect and that does not interfere with the GMR effect of the layers of ferromagnetic material.

Magnetoresistive element with free-layer and method of manufacturing same

The present disclosure provides magnetic sensor system that includes a magnetic sensing device comprising a magnetic multi-turn sensor, and an initialization device for setting the magnetic multi-turn sensor in a known state ready for use. The initialization device is in the form of a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, comprising one or more wires. A strong electrical pulse is applied to the one or more wires, which thereby generate a magnetic field that is strong enough to cause the magnetoresistive elements of the magnetic multi-turn sensor to be filled with domain walls, thereby magnetizing each element into an initialized state.

Magnetic sensor system having an initialization conductor

Apparatus and methods provide sensing of quadrants, angles, or distance using magnetoresistive elements. A quadrant or angle sensor can have magnetoresistive elements split into multiple angles to generate an output with reduced harmonics. A distance sensor can have magnetoresistive elements split and spaced apart to generate an output with reduced harmonics. A biasing conductor can alternatingly carry different amounts of current (different in at least one of magnitude or direction) for DC offset compensation or cancellation.

Length detector with magnetoresitive elements

The present disclosure provides a magnetic multi-turn sensor comprising a continuous coil of magnetoresistive elements and a method of manufacturing said sensor. The continuous coil is formed on a substrate such as a silicon wafer that has been fabricated so as to form a trench and bridge arrangement that enables the inner and outer spiral to be connected without interfering with the magnetoresistive elements of the spiral winding in between. Once the substrate has been fabricated with the trench and bridge arrangement, a film of the magnetoresistive material can be deposited to form a continuous coil on the surface of the substrate, wherein a portion of the coil is formed in the trench and a portion of the coil is formed on the bridge.

Magnetic multi-turn sensor and method of manufacture

Magnetic field sensing based on particle position within container

Growing community of inventors

Biedenkopf, Germany

Jochen Schmitt