The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 19, 2010
Filed:
Feb. 20, 2008
Yosuke Antoku, Tokyo, JP;
Eric Leung, Hong Kong, CN;
Luke Chung, Hong Kong, CN;
Man Tse, Hong Kong, CN;
Yosuke Antoku, Tokyo, JP;
Eric Leung, Hong Kong, CN;
Luke Chung, Hong Kong, CN;
Man Tse, Hong Kong, CN;
TDK Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A method of measuring temperature of a TMR element includes a step of obtaining in advance a temperature coefficient of element resistance of a discrete TMR element that is not mounted on an apparatus, by measuring temperature versus element resistance value characteristic of the discrete TMR element in a state that a breakdown voltage is intentionally applied to the discrete TMR element and a tunnel barrier layer of the discrete TMR element is brought into a stable conductive state, a step of bringing a tunnel barrier layer of a TMR element actually mounted on the apparatus into a stable conductive state by intentionally applying the breakdown voltage to the mounted TMR element having the same structure as that of the discrete TMR element whose temperature coefficient has been measured, a step of measuring an element resistance value of the mounted TMR element with the tunnel barrier layer that has been brought into a stable conductive state, and a step of obtaining a temperature corresponding to the measured element resistance value from the previously measured temperature coefficient of element resistance.