Magneto-resistive effect device, magnetic head gimbal assembly, magnetic recording/reproduction device, strain sensor, pressure sensor, blood pressure sensor, and structural health monitoring sensor

• US 9,032,808 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Giddings, Devin, Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Hara, Michiko, Yuasa, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US13/246,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• US Class Current: 73/779
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/091 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/093 using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors thin magnetic films H01F10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3906 Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/399 with intrinsic biasing, e.g. provided by equipotential strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/30 characterised by the composition of the intermediate layers , e.g. seed, buffer, template, diffusion preventing, cap layers H01F10/06 and H01F10/32 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/325 the spacer being noble metal
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3259 Spin-exchange-coupled multilayers comprising at least a nanooxide layer [NOL], e.g. with a NOL spacer
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a magneto-resistive effect device, includes a stacked body stacked on a substrate, a pair of first electrodes that feeds current to the stacked body, a strain introduction member, and a second electrode for applying a voltage to the strain introduction member. The stacked body includes a first magnetic layer that includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, a second magnetic layer stacked on the first magnetic layer, having a composition that is different from the first magnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

Claims

1. A strain sensor comprising:

a deformable substrate; and

a stacked body fixed to the substrate, the stacked body including

a first magnetic layer having a first composition including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, the first magnetic layer having a first magnetization,

a second magnetic layer apart from the first magnetic layer in a first direction, the second magnetic layer having a composition different from the first composition, the second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and

a first spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a pair of electrodes configured to supply current to the stacked body,

both of the first magnetization and the second magnetization being configured to change in accordance with an external strain applied to the stacked body, the external strain being generated by a deformation of the substrate to cause a resistance between the pair of electrodes to be changed, and

the external strain being configured to be detected by the change in the resistance.

2. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer has a positive magnetostriction coefficient, and the second magnetic layer has a negative magnetostriction coefficient.

3. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the external strain is not applied, the first magnetization is parallel or antiparallel with the second magnetization.

4. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic layer has an oxide layer including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel.

5. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic layer includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of nickel and samarium iron (SmFe).

6. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first spacer layer includes at least one of

an oxide of one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, zinc, silicon, hafnium, tantalum, moylbdenum, tungsten, niobium, chromium, magnesium, and zirconium, and

a nitride of one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, zinc, silicon, hafnium, tantalum, moylbdenum, tungsten, niobium, chromium, magnesium, and zirconium.

7. The strain sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a third magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer disposed between the first spacer layer and the third magnetic layer, the third magnetic layer having a third magnetization being fixed in one direction, and

a second spacer layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer.

8. The strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes

a deformable membrane, the stacked body being fixed to the deformable membrane, and

a support part configured to support the membrane.

9. The strain sensor according to claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of word lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction;

and

a plurality of bit lines extending in a third direction crossing the second direction and the first direction,

the stacked body is provided in a plurality,

each of the stacked bodies being connected with one of the plurality of word lines and one of the plurality of bit lines.

10. A pressure sensor, comprising:

a strain sensor,

including

a substrate including

a deformable membrane, and

a support part configured to support the membrane;

a stacked body fixed to the membrane, the stacked body including

a first magnetic layer including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, the first magnetic layer having a first composition, the first magnetic layer having a first magnetization,

a second magnetic layer apart from the first magnetic layer in a direction, the second magnetic layer having a composition different from the first composition, the second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and

a first spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and

a pair of electrodes configured to supply current to the stacked body;

both of the first magnetization and the second magnetization being configured to change in accordance with an external strain applied to the stacked body, the external strain being generated by a deformation of the membrane to cause a resistance between the pair of electrodes to be changed,

the external strain being configured to be detected by the change in the resistance, and

an external pressure being configured to be detected by detecting the external strain generated by the external pressure.

11. A blood pressure sensor configured to monitor a blood pressure of a person or an animal, the blood pressure sensor comprising:

a strain sensor,

the strain sensor including;

a deformable substrate; and

a stacked body fixed to the substrate, the stacked body including

a first magnetic layer having a first composition including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, the first magnetic layer having a first magnetization,

a second magnetic layer apart from the first magnetic layer in a first direction, the second magnetic layer having a second composition different from the first composition, the second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and

a first spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a pair of electrodes configured to supply current to the stacked body,

both of the first magnetization and the second magnetization being configured to change in accordance with an external strain applied to the stacked body, the external strain being generated by a deformation of the membrane to cause a resistance between the pair of electrodes to be changed, and

the external strain being configured to be detected by the change in the resistance, and

a blood pressure being configured to be detected by detecting the external strain generated by the blood pressure.

12. A structural health monitoring sensor configured to perform structural condition monitoring to monitor a strain state of a bridge or building structure, the structural health monitoring sensor comprising:

a strain sensor,

the strain sensor including

a deformable substrate; and

a stacked body fixed to the substrate, the stacked body including

a first magnetic layer having a first composition including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, the first magnetic layer having a first magnetization,

a second magnetic layer apart from the first magnetic layer in a first direction, the second magnetic layer having a second composition different from the first composition, the second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and

a first spacer layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and

a pair of electrodes configured to supply current to the stacked body, both of the first magnetization and the second magnetization being configured to change in accordance with an external strain applied to the stacked body, the external strain being generated by a deformation of the substrate to cause a resistance between the first pair of electrodes to be changed, and

an external strain being configured to be detected by the change in the resistance, the external strain being changed in accordance with a change of the strain state.