Infineon Technologies Ag

Juergen Zimmer

Klemens Pruegl

Wolfgang Raberg

Dirk Hammerschmidt

Stephan Schmitt

Armin Satz

Stefan Kolb

Wolfgang Granig

Harald Witschnig

Andreas Strasser

Franz Jost

Ralf-Rainer Schledz

Thomas Bever

Norbert Thyssen

Olaf Kuehn

Manfred Ruehrig

Konrad Kapser

Clemens Muehlenhoff

Sebastian Koss

Udo Ausserlechner

Tobias Werth

Bernhard Winkler

Ulrich Karl Klostermann

Joachim Wecker

Dieter Suess

Johannes Guettinger

Hansjoerg Walter Kuemmel

Hubert Brueckl

Llorenç Vallmajó I Ribas

David Tatschl

Milan Agrawal

Mathias Klaeui

Hegedus Akos

Eckard Quandt

Christian Alof

Disclosed herein is a magnetoresistive magnetic field sensor which, inter alia, includes four magnetoresistive elements arranged in a Wheatstone full bridge circuit. A first magnetoresistive element and a second magnetoresistive element, which respectively have an inverse behavior in relation to a change in conductance, are arranged in a first half bridge. A third magnetoresistive element and a fourth magnetoresistive element, which respectively have an inverse behavior in relation to a change in conductance, are arranged in a second half bridge. At least two of the four magnetoresistive elements have different conductance values when no external magnetic field is present. In each case, two of the four magnetoresistive elements have the same conductance if an external magnetic field with a predefined magnetic field strength is present.

Magnetoresistive magnetic field sensor having a freely selectable magnetic operating point

The present disclosure relates to a magnetic field sensor, in particular an angle sensor, including a magnetoresistive sensor component and a spin-orbit torque, SOT, sensor component.

Magnetic field sensor, method for producing same, and method for measuring a magnetic field

An apparatus for generating magnetic vortex spin structures includes a device for moving at least one magnetic domain wall in a magnetic domain wall channel structure; and a device for generating and storing at least one magnetic vortex spin structure in response to the magnetic domain wall moved in the domain wall channel structure.

Apparatus and method for generating magnetic vortex spin structures

Some embodiments relate to a magnetoresistive sensor element comprising a magnetoresistive strip. The magnetoresistive strip includes a first linear segment, and a second linear segment arranged in series with the first linear segment. The second linear segment adjoins the first linear segment at a first inner corner corresponding to a first obtuse angle having a first magnitude. The magnetoresistive strip also includes a third linear segment arranged in series with the first and second linear segments, and a fourth linear segment arranged in series with the first, second, and third linear segments. The fourth linear segment adjoins the third linear segment at a second inner corner corresponding to a second obtuse angle having a second magnitude. Te second magnitude differs from the first magnitude.

XMR sensors with serial segment strip configurations

A method for generating a closed flux magnetization pattern of a predetermined rotational direction in a magnetic reference layer of a magnetic layer stack is provided. The method includes applying an external magnetic field in a predetermined direction to the magnetic layer stack causing magnetic saturation of the magnetic reference layer and of a pinned layer of the magnetic layer stack; and reducing the external magnetic field to form a first closed flux magnetization pattern in the magnetic reference layer and a second closed flux magnetization pattern in the pinned layer.

Magnetoresistive sensors and methods for generating closed flux magnetization patterns

A method for forming a sensor circuit. The method includes forming a plurality of magnetoresistive structures having a first predefined reference magnetization direction in a first common area of a common semiconductor substrate; forming a plurality of magnetoresistive structures having a second predefined reference magnetization direction in a second common area of the common semiconductor substrate; and forming electrically conductive structures electrically coupling the magnetoresistive structures having the first predefined reference magnetization direction to the magnetoresistive structures having the second predefined reference magnetization direction to form a plurality of half-bridge sensor circuits, wherein each half-bridge sensor circuit comprises a magnetoresistive structure having the first predefined reference magnetization direction electrically coupled to a second magnetoresistive structure having the second predefined reference magnetization direction.

Method for forming a sensor circuit

A magnetoresistive sensor has a sensor plane in which the magnetoresistive sensor is sensitive to a magnetic field. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a reference layer having a reference magnetization that is fixed and that is aligned with an in-plane axis of the sensor plane; and a magnetic free layer disposed proximate to the reference layer, the magnetic free layer having a free layer magnetization aligned along an out-of-plane axis that is out-of-plane to the sensor plane. The free layer magnetization is configured to tilt away from the out-of-plane axis and towards the sensor plane in a presence of an external in-plane magnetic field.

Stray field robust XMR sensor using perpendicular anisotropy

Embodiments relate to xMR sensors, including giant magnetoresistive (GMR), tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) or anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR), and the configuration of xMR strips within xMR sensors. In an embodiment, an xMR strip includes a plurality of differently sized and/or differently oriented serially connected portions. In another embodiment, an xMR strip includes a varying width or other characteristic. Such configurations can address discontinuities associated with conventional xMR sensors and improve xMR sensor performance.

A magnetic field sensor for detecting a direction of a magnetic field comprises an xMR sensor designed to produce an xMR sine signal and an xMR cosine signal based on the magnetic field, and an AMR sensor designed to produce an AMR sine signal and/or an AMR cosine signal based on the magnetic field. A processing circuit is designed to determine the direction of the magnetic field using the xMR sine signal, the xMR cosine signal, a first phase difference between the xMR sine signal and the AMR sine signal or the AMR cosine signal, and a second phase difference between the xMR cosine signal and the AMR sine signal or the AMR cosine signal.

Drift-compensated detection of a direction of a magnetic field

A magnetoresistive sensor includes a first non-magnetic layer, a second non-magnetic layer, and a magnetic free bi-layer. The magnetic free bi-layer is disposed between first non-magnetic layer and the second non-magnetic layer, the magnetic free bi-layer including a first magnetic free layer coupled to a second magnetic free layer. The first magnetic free layer is coupled to the first non-magnetic layer, and the second magnetic free layer is coupled to the second non-magnetic layer. The second non-magnetic layer comprises a non-magnetic material having an atomic radius within 10% of an atomic radius of at least one of the first magnetic free layer and the second magnetic free layer.

Magnetoresistive sensor with reduced stress sensitivity

A magnetoresistive sensor includes a magnetic reference layer. The magnetic reference layer includes a permanent closed flux magnetization pattern of a predetermined rotational direction. Furthermore, the magnetoresistive sensor includes a magnetic free layer. The magnetic free layer has a total lateral area that is smaller than a total lateral area of the magnetic reference layer. A centroid of the magnetic free layer is laterally displaced with respect to a centroid of the magnetic reference layer.

A device according to an embodiment may comprise a magneto-resistive structure comprising a magnetic free layer with a spontaneously generated in-plane closed flux magnetization pattern and a magnetic reference layer having a non-closed flux magnetization pattern.

Magneto-resistive structured device having spontaneously generated in-plane closed flux magnetization pattern

Stray field robust xMR sensor using perpendicular anisotropy

Embodiments relate to xMR sensors, in particular AMR and/or TMR angle sensors with an angle range of 360 degrees. In embodiments, AMR angle sensors with a range of 360 degrees combine conventional, highly accurate AMR angle structures with structures in which an AMR layer is continuously magnetically biased by an exchange bias coupling effect. The equivalent bias field is lower than the external rotating magnetic field and is applied continuously to separate sensor structures. Thus, in contrast with conventional solutions, no temporary, auxiliary magnetic field need be generated, and embodiments are suitable for magnetic fields up to about 100 mT or more. Additional embodiments relate to combined TMR and AMR structures. In such embodiments, a TMR stack with a free layer functioning as an AMR structure is used. With a single such stack, contacted in different modes, a high-precision angle sensor with 360 degrees of uniqueness can be realized.

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Neubiberg, Germany

Juergen Zimmer