Tdk Corporation

Sae Magnetics (h.k.) Limited

Kanazawa University

Shigeru Shoji

Hiroshi Yamazaki

Naoto Matono

Masahiro Miyazaki

Ken Unno

Kenichi Tochi

Atsushi Yamaguchi

Akira Sato

Yukio Kawaguchi

Kazumitsu Tanaka

Masaharu Ishizuka

Toshikazu Tanishima

Makoto Yoshida

Masato Takahashi

Takao Noguchi

Tamon Kasajima

Tatsuya Harada

Ken-ichi Takano

Tsuneo Kuwahara

Sotoshi Yamada

A thin film capacitor with a trench structure having a base substance and a pair of electrodes provided on the base substance, and a dielectrode provided between the electrodes. The trench pattern is configured to have a first pattern and a second pattern separate from the first pattern. The first pattern having a plurality of protrusions provided upright at predetermined intervals, and the second pattern separate from the first pattern having a plurality of recesses provided at predetermined intervals, are provided at the side of the base substance where the dielectric film is formed. Trenches are each defined by the outer wall of each protrusion and the inner wall of each recess.

Thin film capacitor

A magnetic direction sensor can detect at higher precision the magnitude and direction of a detected magnetic field. The magnetic direction sensor has a measuring section, a storage section and an operating section. The measuring section has first and second MR elements, and detects resistance values of these elements in accordance with an attitude change of the sensor and the presence or absence of a bias magnetic field to be applied through a coil in a direction orthogonal to a magnetization direction of each pinned layer in the first and second MR elements. The storage section stores fixed data invariable in response to a detected magnetic field direction, in resistance values of these elements measured by the measuring section. The operating section calculates a detected magnetic field vector from variable data of resistance values of these elements measured by the measuring section, and fixed data stored in the storage section.

Magnetic sensor, magnetic direction sensor, method of detecting magnetic field and method of detecting magnetic direction

A magnetic sensor having a reduced size and cost is provided. More particularly, the magnetic sensor includes a magnetic field detection chip having a magnetic field detection element for detecting a magnetic field and an output terminal for outputting an output signal from the magnetic field detection element. A substrate has the magnetic field detection chip mounted thereon, and has a connection terminal for being connected to the output terminal of the magnetic field detection chip that is formed on a mount face of the substrate. An output-terminal formed face of the magnetic field detection chip is arranged non-parallel to the mount face of the substrate. More specifically, the output-terminal formed face of the magnetic field detection chip is arranged almost vertical to the mount face of the substrate.

Magnetic sensor and manufacturing method of the same

The present invention provides a current sensor of smaller and simpler configuration, capable of measuring a current to be detected with high precision and stability. A current sensor has a V-shaped conductor line and a pair of magnetoresistive elements disposed along with the conductor line so that a resistance value of one of the magnetoresistive elements changes in a direction opposite to that of resistance-value-change of the other magnetoresistive element according to current magnetic fields produced by a current to be detected flowing through the conductor line.

Current sensor

An adhesive comprises a base material which generates adhesive strength through curing, a hardening agent which promotes the curing of the base material, and a filler. In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the adhesive is made of particles having a maximum particle diameter of 0.8 &#x3bc;m or less.

Adhesive containing a filler, and a method for attaching and manufacturing a thin plate using the same

First and second MR elements are provided with a plurality of element patterns each having a stacked structure. The stacked structure includes a free layer changing its magnetization direction depending on an external magnetic field, an intermediate layer generating no specific magnetization direction, and a pinned layer having magnetization pinned in a certain direction. The first and the second MR elements have a rotationally symmetrical relationship with each other around a central axis parallel to the directions of anisotropic magnetic fields of the free layer. In the initial condition, the resistance of the first MR element and the resistance of the second MR element are equal to each other. The resistances of the first and the second MR elements exhibit changes in opposite directions in accordance with a magnetic field to be detected. This provides a magnetic sensor permitting higher-precision detection of the magnetic field to be detected.

Magnetic sensor and manufacturing method thereof

A current sensor capable of detecting current magnetic fields generated by a current to be detected with high precision and stability while realizing a compact configuration is provided. The current sensor includes: a conductor generating a current magnetic field in accordance with supplied current to be detected; a magnetoresistive element including a free layer having a magnetization direction that varies in accordance with the current magnetic field, a pinned layer having the magnetization direction that is pinned to a direction orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a bias applying means for applying, to the magnetoresistive element, a bias magnetic field along a direction same with the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field.

Magnetic sensor and current sensor

The present invention provides a current sensor capable of detecting a current magnetic field generated by a current to be detected with high precision and stability while realizing a compact configuration. The current sensor has: first and second magnetoresistive elements each including a pinned layer having a magnetization direction pinned in a predetermined direction, a free layer whose magnetization direction changes according to applied magnetic fields, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the pinned layer and the free layer; and first and second permanent magnets for applying bias magnetic fields to the first and second magnetoresistive elements. The bias magnetic field has a parallel component parallel to a magnetization direction under no magnetic field and an orthogonal component orthogonal to the parallel component. Consequently, uniaxial anisotropy of the free layer can be enhanced without using shape anisotropy. Therefore, the current magnetic field to be detected can be detected with high precision and stability irrespective of the shapes of the magnetoresistive elements, and the invention is favorable for miniaturization.

The present invention provides a current sensor of smaller and simpler configuration, capable of measuring a current to be detected with high precision and stability. A magnetic sensor includes: an element substrate including a magnetoresistive element, the magnetoresistive element having a pinned layer with a magnetization pinned to a direction, an intermediate layer, and a free layer whose magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field; and a magnetic sheet attached on one side of the element substrate so as to apply a bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistive element.

A spring member for an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in a direction of a Z-axis that is perpendicular to an X-Y plane includes a movable section having a plane plate shape, for fixing a magnetic field generation member with weight of the acceleration sensor, and a single support arm section having a strip shape parallel to a plane of the movable section when no acceleration is applied. One end of the single support arm section is integrally connected to one end of the movable section and the other end of the single support arm section is fixed. Only the single support arm section in a cantilever configuration supports the movable section.

Spring member for acceleration sensor, acceleration sensor and magnetic disk drive apparatus

Provided is a current sensor capable of detecting an induced magnetic field by a current to be detected with higher precision. The first and second modules are provided on facing surfaces of integrated substrates, respectively, with spacers in between. Each of the first and second modules includes an element substrate, and an MR element layer. On each of the MR elements layers, provided is an MR element having a stacked structure including a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a free layer whose magnetization direction changes according to the induced magnetic field and which exhibits an anisotropic field in a direction different from that of the magnetization of the pinned layer. The stacked structures of the MR elements are provided in a same layer level.

Current sensor and method of manufacturing current sensor

The present invention relates to a method for bonding a first thin plate having a first adhesion surface and a first back surface and a second thin plate having a second adhesion surface and a second back surface by an adhesive, the adhesive being sandwiched between said first adhesion surface and said second adhesion surface. The method comprises the steps of: applying said adhesive to said second adhesion surface of said second thin plate; holding said first thin plate by applying negative pressure to said first back surface, wherein said first thin plate is held at said first back surface, and said first adhesion surface faces downward; holding said second thin plate by applying negative pressure to said second back surface, wherein said second thin plate is held at said second back surface, and said second adhesion surface faces upward; temporarily bonding said first thin plate and said second thin plate by putting said first and second adhesion surfaces into contact with each other, wherein said first thin plate and said second thin plate are held by negative pressure; and bonding said first thin plate and said second thin plate by curing said adhesive, wherein said first thin plate and said second thin plate are temporarily bonded.

Method for producing a thin IC chip using negative pressure

A current sensor that is compact can detect with high sensitivity and high accuracy a magnetic field generated by a current. The current sensor has a thin film coil including turn portions extending in an X-axis direction at a second layer, and a first magnetoresistive element which includes element patterns disposed at a first layer in areas corresponding to the turn portions, the resistance value of which varies according to a magnetic field generated by a current detected of from 10 to 50 mA flowing through the turn portions. The distance between each turn portion and each element pattern is from 0.4 to 1.0 &#x3bc;m. Each cross-sectional area at the turn portions is from 0.4 to 3.0 &#x3bc;m. This permits efficient detection of a magnetic field without the influence of heat generated from the thin film coil.

The present invention provides a conveying mechanism capable of precisely detecting a conveyance amount of an object to be conveyed with a simple configuration. A head suspension assembly includes a suspension having a pair of attachment parts and an arm extending in a U shape so as to connect the pair of attachment parts to each other and showing elasticity in a Z axis direction, and a magnetic sensor provided on the arm. The arm deflects in the Z axis direction in accordance with the magnitude of an external force pressing the magnetic sensor against a recording surface. Even in the case where the recording surface slightly fluctuates in the Z axis direction at the time of conveying operation, the contact state between the magnetic sensor and the recording surface can be maintained in the range that the arm can deflect. Consequently, magnetic information on the recording surface can be precisely read and the rotation amount of a conveying roller can be detected with high precision. Accordingly, the conveyance amount of a sheet can be obtained accurately.

Head suspension assembly, rotation detecting mechanism, and conveying mechanism capable of accurately detecting the conveyance amount of an object to be conveyed

A magnetic sensor has a needle-shaped detecting part. The needle-shaped detecting part includes a substrate cut to have a needle shape, at least one MR element formed on the substrate, at least two lead conductors formed on the substrate, one end of the conductor being electrically connected to at least one MR element, and a protection film covering the at least one MR element and the at least two lead conductors.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shigeru Shoji