Strain sensing element and pressure sensor

• US 9,952,030 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaji, Shiori, Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Nagata, Tomohiko, Hori, Akio, Fuji, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US14/887,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160282101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/18 using change in resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/24 using change in magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0042 Constructional details associated with semiconductive diaphragm sensors, e.g. etching, or constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms details about the integration or bonding of piezoresistor in or on the diaphragm G01L9/0052 and G01L9/0057 respectively
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/16 by making use of variations in the magnetic properties of material resulting from the application of stress

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a strain sensing element includes a film unit being deformable, a first and a second magnetic unit, and a strain sensor. The first magnetic unit is provided on the film unit and is arranged with the film unit in a first direction. The first magnetic unit includes a first magnetic body layer and a first intermediate magnetic layer. The second magnetic unit is provided on the film unit and is arranged with the first magnetic unit in a second direction crossing the first direction. The second magnetic unit includes a second magnetic body layer and a second intermediate magnetic layer. The strain sensor is provided on the film unit between the first magnetic unit and the second magnetic unit. An electrical characteristic of the strain sensor changes according to a deformation of the film unit.

Claims

1. A strain sensing element, comprising:

a film unit, the film unit being deformable;

a first magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the film unit in a first direction, the first magnetic unit including a first magnetic body layer and a first intermediate magnetic layer, the first intermediate magnetic layer being provided between the first magnetic body layer and the film unit;

a second magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the first magnetic unit in a second direction, the second magnetic unit including a second magnetic body layer and a second intermediate magnetic layer, the second intermediate magnetic layer being provided between the second magnetic body layer and the film unit, the second direction crossing the first direction; and

a first strain sensor provided on the film unit between the first magnetic unit and the second magnetic unit, an electrical characteristic of the first strain sensor changing according to a deformation of the film unit.

2. The element according to claim 1, wherein the first strain sensor includes:

a first magnetic layer;

a second magnetic layer separated from the first magnetic layer in the first direction; and

the first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

3. The element according to claim 2, wherein a saturation magnetization of the first intermediate magnetic layer is higher than a saturation magnetization of the first magnetic layer.

4. The element according to claim 2, wherein a magnetic thickness of the first magnetic unit is thicker than a magnetic thickness of the first magnetic layer.

5. The element according to claim 2, wherein

at least a portion of the first magnetic layer and at least a portion of the first magnetic body layer overlap in the second direction, and

at least a portion of the first magnetic layer and at least a portion of the second magnetic body layer overlap in the second direction.

6. The element according to claim 2, wherein the first magnetic unit further includes a first side intermediate magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic body layer and at least a portion of the first strain sensor, the first side intermediate magnetic layer being continuous with the first intermediate magnetic layer.

7. The element according to claim 6, wherein a portion of the first side intermediate magnetic layer is provided between the first magnetic body layer and at least a portion of the first strain sensor.

8. The element according to claim 2, wherein the first intermediate magnetic layer includes iron.

9. The element according to claim 2, wherein the first magnetic body layer includes an alloy including cobalt and platinum.

10. The element according to claim 2, further including:

a third magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the first magnetic unit in the second direction, the third magnetic unit including a third magnetic body layer and a third intermediate magnetic layer, the third intermediate magnetic layer being provided between the third magnetic body layer and the film unit; and

a second strain sensor provided on the film unit between the first magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit, an electrical characteristic of the second strain sensor changing according to the deformation of the film unit,

the first magnetic unit being disposed between the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit.

11. A pressure sensor, comprising:

the strain sensing element according to claim 1; and

a supporter supporting the film unit.

12. A strain sensing element, comprising:

a film unit, the film unit being deformable;

a first magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the film unit in a first direction, the first magnetic unit including a first magnetic body layer;

a second magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the first magnetic unit in a second direction, the second magnetic unit including a second magnetic body layer, the second direction crossing the first direction;

a first strain sensor provided on the film unit between the first magnetic unit and the second magnetic unit, an electrical characteristic of the first strain sensor changing according to a deformation of the film unit;

a third magnetic unit provided on the film unit, the third magnetic unit including a third magnetic body layer;

a fourth magnetic unit provided on the film unit and arranged with the third magnetic unit in a third direction crossing the first direction, the fourth magnetic unit including a fourth magnetic body layer; and

a second strain sensor provided on the film unit between the third magnetic unit and the fourth magnetic unit, an electrical characteristic of the second strain sensor changing according to the deformation of the film unit.

13. The element according to claim 12, wherein the first strain sensor and the second strain sensor are arranged along an outer edge of the film unit.

14. The element according to claim 13, wherein an angle between the second direction and the shortest straight line connecting the outer edge and the first strain sensor is not less than 40 degrees and not more than 50 degrees.

15. The element according to claim 13, wherein an angle between the second direction and the shortest straight line connecting the outer edge and the first strain sensor is not less than 85 degrees and not more than 95 degrees.

16. The element according to claim 12, wherein

the first magnetic unit further includes a first intermediate magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic body layer and the film unit, and

the second magnetic unit further includes a second intermediate magnetic layer provided between the second magnetic body layer and the film unit.

17. The element according to claim 16, wherein the first strain sensor includes:

a first magnetic layer;

a second magnetic layer separated from the first magnetic layer in the first direction; and

a first intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

18. The element according to claim 17, wherein a saturation magnetization of the first intermediate magnetic layer is higher than a saturation magnetization of the first magnetic layer.

19. The element according to claim 17, wherein a magnetic thickness of the first magnetic unit is thicker than a magnetic thickness of the first magnetic layer.

20. The element according to claim 17, wherein

at least a portion of the first magnetic layer and at least a portion of the first magnetic body layer overlap in the second direction, and

at least a portion of the first magnetic layer and at least a portion of the second magnetic body layer overlap in the second direction.