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.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 06, 2018

Filed:

Dec. 03, 2015
Applicant:

Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek, IL;

Inventors:

Yakov Roizin, Afula, IL;

Menachem Vofsy, Kiryat Tivon, IL;

Assignee:

Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek, IL;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 27/74 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); H01L 43/08 (2006.01); H01L 27/22 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 33/0065 (2013.01); G01N 27/74 (2013.01); G01N 33/0027 (2013.01); G01N 33/0062 (2013.01); H01L 27/22 (2013.01); H01L 43/08 (2013.01);
Abstract

A CMOS gas sensor that uses MTJ elements to capture/store gas concentration level data at high temperatures for later readout at low temperatures. Each MTJ element includes a storage layer whose magnetic orientation is switchable between parallel and anti-parallel directions relative to a fixed reference when heated above the storage layer's blocking temperature, whereby the MTJ element is switchable between low and high resistance states. During operation, reaction heat generated by a gas sensing element raises the MTJ element's temperature above the blocking temperature when ambient target gas exceeds a minimum concentration level, whereby an applied magnetic biasing force causes the storage layer's magnetic orientation to switch relative to the fixed reference, whereby the MTJ element captures measured concentration level data for later readout. In one embodiment, multiple MTJ elements connected in a NAND-type string switch at different concentration levels to provide highly accurate quantitative measurement data.


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