Apparatus and method for sequentially resetting elements of a magnetic sensor array

• US 9,110,123 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everspin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Everspin Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Engel, Bradley, Mather, Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CURTIS, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/532,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 324/126, 324/249, 324/252, 324/207.21, 324/750.21, 324/754.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0023 Electronic aspects, e.g. circuits for stimulation, evaluation, control; Treating the measured signals; calibration G01R33/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/09 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/093 using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors thin magnetic films H01F10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/098 comprising tunnel junctions, e.g. tunnel magnetoresistance sensors

Abstract

A semiconductor process and apparatus provide a high-performance magnetic field sensor with three differential sensor configurations which require only two distinct pinning axes, where each differential sensor is formed from a Wheatstone bridge structure with four unshielded magnetic tunnel junction sensor arrays, each of which includes a magnetic field pulse generator for selectively applying a field pulse to stabilize or restore the easy axis magnetization of the sense layers to orient the magnetization in the correct configuration. prior to measurements of small magnetic fields. The field pulse is sequentially applied to groups of the sense layers of the Wheatstone bridge structures, thereby allowing for a higher current pulse or larger sensor array size for maximal signal to noise ratio.

Claims

1. A magnetic field sensor comprising:

a first bridge circuit including a first plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense a magnetic field in a first dimension, the first plurality of magnetic sense elements including i groups of magnetic sense elements, where i is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein each group of the i groups of magnetic sense elements includes a plurality of magnetic sense elements to sense the magnetic field in the first dimension;

a second bridge circuit including a second plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense the magnetic field in a second dimension, the second plurality of magnetic sense elements including j groups of magnetic sense elements, where j is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein each group of the j groups of magnetic sense elements includes a plurality of magnetic sense elements to sense the magnetic field in the second dimension; and

circuitry configured to generate a first plurality of current pulses and a second plurality of current pulses, the first plurality of current pulses sequentially applied adjacent to each of the i groups of the first plurality of magnetic sense elements and thereafter the second plurality of current pulses sequentially applied adjacent to each of the j groups of the second plurality of magnetic sense elements, wherein the sequential application of current pulses adjacent to the i and j groups of magnetic sense elements results in a larger current applied adjacent to each of the i and j groups of magnetic sense elements, for a given voltage, than if the first plurality and second plurality of current pulses had been applied adjacent to the i and j groups of magnetic sense elements simultaneously.

2. The magnetic field sensor of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises:

a logic circuit; and

current driver circuitry configured to sequentially generate and apply the first plurality of current pulses adjacent to each of the i groups of the first plurality of magnetic sense elements in response to a first control signal from the logic circuit.

3. The magnetic field sensor of claim 2, wherein the current driver circuitry is further configured to sequentially generate and apply the second plurality of current pulses adjacent to each of the j groups of the second plurality of magnetic sense elements in response to a second control signal from the logic circuit.

4. The magnetic field sensor of claim 2, further including:

one or more contact pads configured to receive the first and second plurality of current pulses,

wherein the first and second bridge circuits are located on a first chip and the current driver circuitry is located on a second chip.

5. The magnetic field sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a third bridge circuit including a third plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense the magnetic field in a third dimension, the third plurality of magnetic sense elements including k groups of magnetic sense elements, where k is greater than or equal to 2, wherein each group of the k groups of magnetic sense elements includes a plurality of magnetic sense elements to sense the magnetic field in the third dimension,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate a third plurality of current pulses, the third plurality of current pulses sequentially applied adjacent to each of the k groups of the third plurality of magnetic sense elements, and

wherein the sequential application of current pulses adjacent to the i, j, and k groups of magnetic sense elements results in a larger current applied adjacent to each of the i, j, and k groups, for a given voltage, than if the first plurality, second plurality, and third plurality of current pulse had been applied adjacent to the i, j, and k groups of magnetic sense elements simultaneously.

6. The magnetic field sensor of claim 5, wherein the circuitry comprises:

a logic circuit; and

current driver circuitry, in response to control signals from the logic circuit, configured to sequentially generate the first plurality, second plurality, and third plurality of current pulses and sequentially apply the first plurality, second plurality, and third plurality of current pulses adjacent to each of the i groups of the first plurality of magnetic sense elements, j groups of the second plurality of magnetic sense elements, and k groups of the third plurality of magnetic sense elements.

7. The magnetic field sensor of claim 6, further including:

one or more a contact pads configured to receive the first plurality, second plurality, and third plurality of current pulses,

wherein the first, second, and third bridge circuits are located on a first chip and the current driver circuitry is located on a second chip.

8. The magnetic field sensor of claim 5, wherein the magnetic sense elements of the first and second plurality of magnetic sense elements each further comprise:

a magnetic tunnel junction sensor having a first unshielded sense layer with an easy axis magnetic orientation corresponding to the first and second dimensions associated with the plurality of magnetic sense elements of the respective, first and second bridge circuits.

9. The magnetic field sensor of claim 1, wherein each current pulse of the first and second plurality of current pulses includes a pulse width of 50 nanoseconds or less.

10. A method of resetting magnetic sense elements of a magnetic field sensor, the method comprising:

sequentially resetting a first group of magnetic sense elements of a first bridge circuit by sequentially applying current pulses to a first plurality of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the first plurality of reset lines is located adjacent to an associated first group of magnetic sense elements of the first bridge circuit, and wherein each magnetic sense element of the first group of magnetic sense elements of the first bridge circuit senses a magnetic field in a first dimension,

wherein the sequential application of current pulses to the first plurality of reset lines provides a larger current applied to the first plurality of reset lines, for a given voltage, than if current pulses had been simultaneously applied to all the reset lines of the first plurality of reset lines.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

sequentially resetting a second group of magnetic sense elements of a second bridge circuit by sequentially applying current pulses to a second plurality of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the second plurality of reset lines is located adjacent to an associated second group of magnetic sense elements of the second bridge circuit, and wherein each magnetic sense element of the second group of magnetic sense elements of the second bridge circuit senses the magnetic field in a second dimension,

wherein the sequential application of current pulses to the second plurality of reset lines provides a larger current applied to the second plurality of reset lines, for a given voltage, than if current pulses had been simultaneously applied to all the reset lines of the second plurality of reset lines.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein current pulses are sequentially applied to the first plurality of reset lines before current pulses are sequentially applied to the second plurality of reset lines.

13. The method of claim 11, further including:

sequentially resetting a third group of magnetic sense elements of a third bridge circuit by sequentially applying current pulses to a third plurality of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the third plurality of reset lines is located adjacent to an associated third group of magnetic sense elements of the third bridge circuit, and wherein each magnetic sense element of the third group of magnetic sense elements of the third bridge circuit senses the magnetic field in a third dimension.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein current pulses are sequentially applied to the first plurality of reset lines before current pulses are sequentially applied to the second plurality of reset lines, and

wherein current pulses are sequentially applied to the second plurality of reset lines before current pulses are sequentially applied to the third plurality of reset lines.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

applying a first stabilization current adjacent to the first group of magnetic sense elements of the first bridge circuit; and

measuring the magnetic field sensor response to components of a magnetic field along a first direction.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

applying a second stabilization current adjacent to the second group of magnetic sense elements of the second bridge circuit; and

measuring the magnetic field sensor response to components of a magnetic field along a second direction.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein applying current pulses to the first plurality of reset lines includes applying current pulses having a pulse width of 50 nanoseconds or less.

18. A magnetic field sensor comprising:

a first bridge circuit including a first plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense a magnetic field in a first dimension, the first plurality of magnetic sense elements organized into i groups of magnetic sense elements, where i is greater than or equal to 2;

a first group of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the first group is located adjacent to an associated group of the i groups of magnetic sense elements;

a second bridge circuit including a second plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense a magnetic field in a second dimension, the second plurality of magnetic sense elements organized into j groups of magnetic sense elements, where j is greater than or equal to 2;

a second group of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the second group is located adjacent to an associated group of the j groups of magnetic sense elements;

a third bridge circuit including a third plurality of magnetic sense elements configured to sense a magnetic field in a third dimension, the third plurality of magnetic sense elements organized into k groups of magnetic sense elements, where k is greater than or equal to 2;

a third group of reset lines, wherein each reset line of the third group is located adjacent to an associated group of the k groups of magnetic sense elements; and

current driver circuitry configured to responsively and sequentially generate a plurality of current pulses and configured to sequentially apply current pulses to the reset lines of the first, second, and third groups of reset lines, wherein the sequential application of current pulses to the reset lines of the first, second, and third groups of reset lines results in a larger current applied adjacent to each of the i, j, and k groups of magnetic sense elements, for a given voltage, than if current pulses had been applied adjacent to the i, j, and k groups of magnetic sense elements simultaneously.

19. The magnetic field sensor of claim 18, further comprising:

a logic circuit configured to generate control signals; and

one or more a contact pads configured to receive current pulses,

wherein the first, second, and third bridge circuits are located on a first chip and the logic circuit and current driver circuitry are located on a second chip.

20. The magnetic field sensor of claim 18, wherein each current pulse of the plurality of current pulses has a pulse width of 50 nanoseconds or less.