Magnetic sensor and rotation-angle-detecting apparatus with a bridge circuit
First Claim
1. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge circuit in which four magnetoresistive devices are connected,said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer, andat least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 36°
- ≦
θ
<
45°
, wherein θ
is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge circuit in which four magnetoresistive devices are connected, the magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by the pinned layer and the free layer, and at least one of the magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 36°≦θ<45°, wherein θ is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge circuit in which four magnetoresistive devices are connected,
said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer, and at least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 36° - ≦
θ
<
45°
, wherein θ
is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- ≦
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9. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge X comprising first to fourth magnetoresistive devices and a bridge Y comprising fifth to eighth magnetoresistive devices,
said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer, an angle between the longitudinal direction of each device and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer meeting the following conditions: -
the angle of the first device=the angle of the third device, the angle of the second device=the angle of the fourth device, the angle of the first device=−
the angle of the second device,the angle of the fifth device=the angle of the seventh device, the angle of the sixth device=the angle of the eighth device, the angle of the fifth device=−
the angle of the sixth device, andat least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 37°
≦
θ
≦
44°
, wherein θ
is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge X comprising first to fourth magnetoresistive devices and a bridge Y comprising fifth to eighth magnetoresistive devices,
said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer, an angle between the longitudinal direction of each device and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer meeting the following conditions: -
the angle of the first device=the angle of the fourth device, the angle of the second device=the angle of the third device, the angle of the first device=−
the angle of the second device,the angle of the fifth device=the angle of the eighth device, the angle of the sixth device=the angle of the seventh device, the angle of the fifth device=−
the angle of the sixth device, andat least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 39°
≦
θ
≦
44°
, wherein θ
is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification