Magnetic sensor bridge using dual free layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11275130-B2
Application number	US-202016912500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jun 25, 2020
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to sensor device, such as a magnetic sensor bridge, that utilizes a dual free layer (DFL) structure. The device includes a plurality of resistors that each includes the same DFL structure. Adjacent the DFL structure is a magnetic structure that can include a permanent magnet, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer having a synthetic AFM (SAF) structure thereon, a permanent magnetic having a SAF structure thereon, or an AFM layer having a ferromagnetic layer thereon. The DFL structures are aligned with different layers of the magnetic structures to differentiate the resistors. The different alignment and/or different magnetic structures result in a decrease in production time due to reduced complexity and, thus, reduces costs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor device, comprising:
a first resistor comprising:
at least one first dual free layer (DFL) sensor, each first DFL sensor comprising a first synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) soft bias side shield, a second SAF soft bias side shield, and a first free layer and a second free layer disposed between the first and second SAF soft bias side shields, wherein the first SAF soft bias side shield comprises a first lower soft bias, a first spacer disposed on the first lower soft bias, and a first upper soft bias disposed on the first spacer, and wherein the second SAF soft bias side shield comprises a second lower soft bias, a second spacer disposed on the second lower soft bias, and a second upper soft bias disposed on the second spacer; and
at least one first magnetic structure, wherein each first magnetic structure comprises:
a first antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer; and
SAF structure disposed over the first AFM layer, wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the SAF structure when viewed in cross-section; and

a second resistor comprising:
at least one second DFL sensor; and
at least one second magnetic structure.

2. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the SAF structure comprises:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a spacer layer disposed over the first ferromagnetic layer; and
a second ferromagnetic layer disposed over the spacer layer.

3. The sensor device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the second ferromagnetic layer.

4. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second magnetic structure comprises:
a second AFM layer; and
a ferromagnetic layer disposed over the second AFM layer.

5. The sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one second DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the ferromagnetic layer when viewed in cross-section.

6. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is a plurality of first DFL sensors, wherein the at least one first magnetic structure is a plurality of first magnetic structures, and wherein a number of the plurality of first DFL sensors is greater than a number of the plurality of first magnetic structures.

7. The sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one second DFL sensor is a plurality of second DFL sensors, wherein the at least one second magnetic structure is a plurality of second magnetic structures, and wherein a number of the plurality of second DFL sensors is greater than a number of the plurality of second magnetic structures.

8. The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third resistor, wherein the third resistor is substantially identical to the first resistor; and
a fourth resistor, wherein the fourth resistor is substantially identical to the second resistor.

9. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is a Wheatstone bridge array.

10. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein each second DFL sensor comprising a first SAF soft bias side shield, a second SAF soft bias side shield, and a first free layer and a second free layer disposed between the first and second SAF soft bias side shields, wherein the first SAF soft bias side shield comprises a first lower soft bias, a first spacer disposed on the first lower soft bias, and a first upper soft bias disposed on the first spacer, and wherein the second SAF soft bias side shield comprises a second lower soft bias, a second spacer disposed on the second lower soft bias, and a second upper soft bias disposed on the second spacer.

11. A sensor device, comprising:
a first resistor comprising:
at least one first dual free layer (DFL) sensor, each first DFL sensor comprising a first synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) soft bias side shield, a second SAF soft bias side shield, and a first free layer and a second free layer disposed between the first and second SAF soft bias side shields, wherein the first SAF soft bias side shield comprises a first lower soft bias, a first spacer disposed on the first lower soft bias, and a first upper soft bias disposed on the first spacer, and wherein the second SAF soft bias side shield comprises a second lower soft bias, a second spacer disposed on the second lower soft bias, and a second upper soft bias disposed on the second spacer; and
at least one magnetic structure, wherein each magnetic structure comprises:
a first permanent magnet; and
SAF structure disposed over the first permanent magnet, wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the SAF structure when viewed in cross-section; and

a second resistor comprising:
at least one second DFL sensor; and
at least one second permanent magnet, wherein the at least one second DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the at least one second permanent magnet when viewed in cross-section.

12. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is a plurality of first DFL sensors, each of the plurality of first DFL sensors being connected in series.

13. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one second DFL sensor is a plurality of second DFL sensors, each of the plurality of second DFL sensors being connected in series.

14. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the SAF structure comprises:
a first ferromagnetic layer;
a spacer layer disposed over the first ferromagnetic layer; and
a second ferromagnetic layer disposed over the spacer layer, wherein the at least one first DFL sensor is linearly aligned with the second ferromagnetic layer.

15. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one magnetic structure is a plurality of magnetic structures, wherein the at least one second permanent magnet is a plurality of second permanent magnets, wherein a number of the plurality of magnetic structures is equal to a number of the plurality of second permanent magnets.

16. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor device is a Wheatstone bridge array.

17. The sensor device of claim 11 , wherein each second DFL sensor comprising a first SAF soft bias side shield, a second SAF soft bias side shield, and a first free layer and a second free layer disposed between the first and second SAF soft bias side shields, wherein the first SAF soft bias side shield comprises a first lower soft bias, a first spacer disposed on the first lower soft bias, and a first upper soft bias disposed on the first spacer, and wherein the second SAF soft bias side shield comprises a second lower soft bias, a second spacer disposed on the second lower soft bias, and a second upper soft bias disposed on the second spacer.

18. A sensor device, comprising:
at least one first resistor comprising:
at least one first dual free layer (DFL) sensor, each first DFL sensor comprising a first synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) soft bias side shield, a second SAF soft bias side shield, and a first free layer and a second free layer disposed between the first and second SAF soft bias side shields, wherein the first SAF soft bias side shield comprises a first lower soft bias, a first spacer disposed on the first lower soft bias, and a first upper soft bias disposed on the first spacer, and wherein the second SAF soft bias side shield comprises a second lower soft bias, a second spacer disposed on the second lower soft bias, and a second upper soft bias disposed on the second spacer; and
at least one first magnetic structure, wherein each first magnetic structure comprises:
a first antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer comprising a first material; and
a first ferromagnetic layer d

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Liu Xiaoyong
• Le Quang
• Bai Zhigang
• Mauri Daniele
• Li Zhanjie
• Ho Kuok San
• Nguyen Thao A
• Nagabhirava Rajeev

Classifications

• G01R33/09 Primary

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title

• G01R33/0023

  Electronic aspects, e.g. circuits for stimulation, evaluation, control; Treating the measured signals; calibration (G01R33/0017 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/091 Primary

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01R27/14

  Measuring resistance by measuring current or voltage obtained from a reference source (G01R27/16, G01R27/20, G01R27/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/0052

  Manufacturing aspects; Manufacturing of single devices, i.e. of semiconductor magnetic sensor chips (devices based on galvano-magnetic effect or the like H10N50/85) · CPC title