Magnetic sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025044383-A1
Application number	US-202418923834-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2024
Priority date	Sep 21, 2021
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A magnetic sensor 1 includes a plurality of MR elements disposed in first to fourth areas. Each of the first to fourth areas includes a first end edge and a second end edge located at both ends in a first reference direction, and a third end edge and a fourth end edge located at both ends in a second reference direction. Each of the first and second end edges extends along the second reference direction. Each of the third and fourth end edges extends along a third reference direction. Each of the plurality of MR elements has a shape long in a direction different from each of the first reference direction, the second reference direction, and the third reference direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic sensor comprising:
a plurality of magnetoresistive elements; and a chip including the plurality of magnetoresistive elements; and a detection circuit including a first port, a second port, a third port, a first resistor section, and a second resistor section, wherein: the chip has a top surface and a bottom surface that are positioned opposite to each other, and a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, and a fourth side surface that connect the top surface and the bottom surface; the first side surface and the second side surface are located at both ends of the chip in a first reference direction; the third side surface and the fourth side surface are located at both ends of the chip in a second reference direction orthogonal to the first reference direction; the first resistor section is provided between the first port and the second port in the detection circuit; the second resistor section is provided between the second port and the third port in the detection circuit; the plurality of magnetoresistive elements include a plurality of first magnetoresistive elements constituting the first resistor section and a plurality of second magnetoresistive elements constituting the second resistor section; the chip includes a first quadrangular area in which a whole of the plurality of first magnetoresistive elements are disposed, and a second quadrangular area in which a whole of the plurality of second magnetoresistive elements are disposed; and when a center of gravity of the first quadrangular area when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a first area center of gravity, and a center of gravity of the second quadrangular area when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a second area center of gravity, the first area center of gravity and the second area center of gravity are arranged along a third reference direction intersecting with each of the first reference direction and the second reference direction.

2 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a plurality of rows of elements each arranged in the first reference direction, wherein: each of the plurality of rows of elements includes two or more magnetoresistive elements arranged in a row along the second reference direction among the plurality of magnetoresistive elements; the plurality of rows of elements includes a first row of elements disposed at a position closest to the first side surface, and a second row of elements disposed with a predetermined gap from the first row of elements in the first reference direction; the first row of elements includes a first specific magnetoresistive element disposed at a position closest to the third side surface; the second row of elements includes a second specific magnetoresistive element disposed at a position closest to the third side surface; when a center of gravity of the first specific magnetoresistive element when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a first element center of gravity, and a center of gravity of the second specific magnetoresistive element when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a second element center of gravity, the first element center of gravity and the second element center of gravity are arranged along the third reference direction; and some of each of the plurality of magnetoresistive elements are connected to each other respectively by a plurality of electrodes each having a shape long in a direction different from each of the first reference direction, the second reference direction, and the third reference direction.

3 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first port is a power supply port; the second port is an output port; and the third port is a ground port.

4 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first port is a first output port; the second port is a power supply port or a ground port; and the third port is a second output port.

5 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first quadrangular area and the second quadrangular area are disposed to be arranged along the first reference direction.

6 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detection circuit further includes a fourth port, a third resistor section, and a fourth resistor section; the third resistor section is provided between the third port and the fourth port in the detection circuit; the fourth resistor section is provided between the first port and the fourth port in the detection circuit; the plurality of magnetoresistive elements further include a plurality of third magnetoresistive elements constituting the third resistor section and a plurality of fourth magnetoresistive elements constituting the fourth resistor section; the chip further includes a third quadrangular area in which a whole of the plurality of third magnetoresistive elements are disposed, and a fourth quadrangular area in which a whole of the plurality of fourth magnetoresistive elements are disposed; and when a center of gravity of the third quadrangular area when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a third area center of gravity, and a center of gravity of the fourth quadrangular area when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the chip is referred to a fourth area center of gravity, the third area center of gravity and the fourth area center of gravity are arranged along the third reference direction.

7 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 6 wherein:
the first quadrangular area and the second quadrangular area are arranged in this order in one direction parallel to the first reference direction; and
the third quadrangular area and the fourth quadrangular area are arranged in this order in a direction opposite to the one direction.

8 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 6 wherein:
the first quadrangular area, the second quadrangular area, the third quadrangular area, and the fourth quadrangular area are arranged along one direction parallel to the first reference direction in an order of the second quadrangular area, the third quadrangular area, the first quadrangular area, and the fourth quadrangular area.

9 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 6 wherein:
the first port is a power supply port;
the second port is a first output port;
the third port is a ground port; and
the fourth port is a second output port.

10 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of structural bodies each structured to cause the plurality of magnetoresistive elements to detect a specific component of a target magnetic field, wherein the plurality of structural bodies include a structural body extending across the first quadrangular area and the second quadrangular area.

11 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the plurality of structural bodies includes an end portion located at an end of each of the structural bodies in one direction parallel to the second reference direction; and the plurality of structural bodies are configured such that the end portion of each of the plurality of structural bodies includes some structural bodies arranged along the third reference direction.

12 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of structural bodies include a plurality of yokes each made of a soft magnetic body.

13 . The magnetic sensor accord

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Hiraki Tetsuya
• Watanabe Kazuya

Classifications

• G01R33/091

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• G01R33/0206

  Three-component magnetometers · CPC title

• G01R33/0011

  comprising means, e.g. flux concentrators, flux guides, for guiding or concentrating the magnetic flux, e.g. to the magnetic sensor · 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

• G01R33/0017

  Means for compensating offset magnetic fields or the magnetic flux to be measured; Means for generating calibration magnetic fields · CPC title