Magnetoresistive element for sensing a magnetic field in an out-of-plane direction with increased sensitivity

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a magnetoresistive sensor (MR) element, comprising a reference layer having a reference magnetization; a sense layer having a sense magnetization comprising a vortex configuration stable under the presence of an external magnetic field, the sense magnetization being reversibly movable in a direction out-of-plane relative to the reference magnetization when the external magnetic field varies in a direction out-of-plane; and a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the sense layer. The MR element further comprises a dipolar assisting layer, configured to generate a dipolar stray field oriented substantially out-of-plane, such that the dipolar stray field is added to the out-of-plane external magnetic field, resulting in an effective magnetic field that is larger than and proportional to the external magnetic field. The present disclosure further concerns a magnetic sensor device comprising the MR element.