Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kazuhiro Onaka

Noritaka Ichinomiya

Kiyotaka Yamada

Shigehiro Yoshiuchi

Naoki Kohara

Takafumi Tsushima

Masako Yamaguchi

Kouji Nabetani

Masafumi Okamoto

Sumio Maekawa

Masataka Tagawa

Shigeru Yamamoto

Nobukazu Hayashi

Yukio Nakao

A magnetic sensor includes a first half-bridge circuit, a second half-bridge circuit, and a holding member. The first half-bridge circuit includes a first magnetoresistive effect element and a second magnetoresistive effect element. The second half-bridge circuit includes a third magnetoresistive effect element and a fourth magnetoresistive effect element. The first magnetoresistive effect element detects a magnetic field aligned with an X-axis. The second magnetoresistive effect element detects a magnetic field aligned with a Y-axis. The third magnetoresistive effect element detects a magnetic field aligned with a first axis. The fourth magnetoresistive effect element detects a magnetic field aligned with a second axis.

Magnetic sensor and magnetic detection system

A magnetic sensor includes at least one bias magnet, a first half-bridge circuit, a second half-bridge circuit, and a base member. The first half-bridge circuit includes a pair of first magnetoresistive effect elements to one of which a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of an X-axis is applied and to the other of which a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the X-axis is applied. The second half-bridge circuit includes a pair of second magnetoresistive effect elements to one of which a bias magnetic field aligned with a positive direction of a Y-axis is applied and to the other of which a bias magnetic field aligned with a negative direction of the Y-axis is applied.

A position detection system includes a magnetic pole block and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic pole block includes a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in a first direction. The plurality of magnetic poles are arranged such that N poles and S poles are alternately arranged as the plurality of magnetic poles in the first direction. At least one member selected from the magnetic pole block and the magnetic sensor is movable in the first direction with respect to the other member. The magnetic sensor includes a plurality of magnetoresistive effect elements and a bias magnet. The plurality of magnetoresistive effect elements are arranged side by side in the first direction. The bias magnet applies, to the plurality of magnetoresistive effect elements, a magnetic field having an orientation toward one of two opposite sides of the first direction.

Position detection system

A magnetic sensor unit includes a magnet, a magnetic sensor facing a lower surface of the magnet, a magnetic shield surrounding the magnetic sensor in a lateral direction crossing up and down directions of the magnetic sensor, and a magnetic yoke covering an upper surface and a side surface of the magnet. The magnet includes a first magnetized region magnetized along the up and down direction, and a second magnetized region magnetized in a direction opposite to a direction of magnetization of the first magnetized region. The first and second magnetized regions have first and second magnetic poles provided on the lower surface of the magnet. A distance LA between a center of the first magnetic pole and a center of the second magnetic pole, a distance LB between the magnetic shield and the center of the first magnetic pole, a distance LC between the magnetic shield and the center of the second magnetic pole satisfy a relation of LA<LB+LC. This magnetic sensor unit has magnetic shielding properties and has a small size.

Magnetic sensor unit

A magnetic sensor includes a first magnetoresistive element that detects a magnetic field along a first detection axis, a second magnetoresistive element that detects a magnetic field along a second detection axis inclining at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first detection axis, a first Hall element that detects a magnetic field along a third detection axis, and a second Hall element that detects a magnetic field along a fourth detection axis perpendicular to the third detection axis. This magnetic sensor has both characteristics of the Hall elements and characteristics of the magnetoresistive elements, and has high accuracy and a small size.

Magnetic sensor

A magnetic sensor includes a magneto-resistive element, a Hall element, and a detection circuit that receives a signal from the magneto-resistive element and a signal from the Hall element input thereto. The detection circuit includes an output terminal and an interrupt generation unit. The output terminal outputs, to the outside as an output signal, a signal obtained by performing to the signal input from the magneto-resistive element, at least one processing selected from amplification, analog-to-digital conversion, offset correction, and temperature-characteristics correction. The interrupt generation unit outputs an interrupt signal when the signal input from the Hall element is larger than a predetermined threshold. The magnetic sensor is high accurate and highly reliable.

Magnetic sensor and detection device using same

A magnetic sensor includes a board, a magnetoresistance element group including first and second magnetoresistance elements disposed on the board, and a magnet group including a first magnet corresponding to the first magnetoresistance element and a second magnet corresponding to the second magnetoresistance element. This magnetic sensor can have a small size and high accuracy.

A magnetic bias filmincludes a magnetic bias magnetthat has magnetic layers and generates a magnetic field within a plane perpendicular to a lamination direction of the magnetic layers, which is manufactured in the shape of substantially a rectangular prism having a long side, a short side, and a thickness (in the lamination direction) in order of decreasing lengths. A ratio of the long side with respect to the short side of the magnetic bias magnetin length is in a range of 5 to 200.

Magnetic bias film and magnetic sensor using the same

A direction sensor has first and second bridge circuits, each of the bridge circuits including at least two detecting elements formed on a main surface of a substrate and connected in series, their longitudinal directions crossing each other. The sensor also has first and second magnetic bias application parts respectively facing toward the first and the second bridge circuits. The directions of the magnetic fields of the magnetic bias application parts are different from each other. The direction sensor does not require a holder or a coil, so that miniaturization of the sensor is feasible.

Direction sensor including first and second detecting circuits and first and second magnetic bias application parts

The present invention relates to an artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus for depositing on a substrate a gigantic magneto-resistive effect film (GMR film) having an artificial lattice structure formed of magnetic metal films and non-magnetic metal films alternately laminated one over the other and its object is to provide the artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus to enable easy and secure deposition of an artificial latticed multi-layer film having GMR characteristics. In order to achieve the above object, an artificial latticed multi-layer film deposition apparatus of the present invention comprises a target (,) having a magnetron magnet (,) on the bottom surface thereof, a cylindrical chimney (,) covering at least the above target (,) and leaving the end thereof situated opposite to the target (,) open and a chimney top (,) that closes by sealing the end of the chimney (,) left open and also has a chimney top opening (,) on the surface thereof opposing to the target (,), in which, at the time when a substrate (,) passes above the chimney top (,), molecules are generated from the upper surface of the target (,) in the form of a plasma ring (,) and sputtered on the substrate (,) for film deposition.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Kazuhiro Onaka