NON-CONTACT CURRENT SENSOR
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A non-contact current sensor includes a spin valve structure (2), an electrical unit (4) that applies a varying current to the spin valve structure (2), and a resistance reading unit that electrically reads out a resistance value of the spin valve structure (2). When a current-induced magnetic field is detected, a coercive force of a free layer (14) is configured to be larger than the current-induced magnetic field as a detection target, and the electrical unit (4) allows the magnetization directions of a pinned layer (12) and the free layer (14) to transition between a mutually parallel state and a mutually anti-parallel state by applying the current to the spin valve structure (2). The resistance reading unit (5) detects a threshold value corresponding to the transition.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1-4. -4. (canceled)
-
5. A method for detecting a current-induced magnetic field in a non-contact current sensor, the method comprising:
-
detecting, with a spin valve structure, a magnetic field induced by a current flowing through a wire adjacent to the spin valve structure, the spin valve structure comprising; a free layer having a direction of magnetization and a coercive force that is larger than the current-induced magnetic field; a pinned layer having a direction of magnetization; and a nonmagnetic layer arranged between the free layer and the pinned layer; applying, with an electrical unit, a current to the spin valve structure to cause the direction of magnetization of the pinned layer and the direction of magnetization of the free layer to transition between a mutually parallel state and a mutually anti-parallel state; and electrically reading, with a resistance reading unit, a resistance value of the spin valve structure if the current-induced magnetic field is detected. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A spin valve structure configured to detect a current-induced magnetic field, the spin valve structure comprising:
-
a free layer having a direction of magnetization and a coercive force that is larger than the current-induced magnetic field; a pinned layer having a direction of magnetization; and a nonmagnetic layer arranged between the free layer and the pinned layer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification