Magnetic sensor and magnetic sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025123340-A1
Application number	US-202419001724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2024
Priority date	Aug 30, 2021
Publication date	Apr 17, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A magnetic sensor includes a first path and a second path, a plurality of structures, and a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes. The first path includes at least one first array. The second path includes at least one second array. The at least one first array and the at least one second array are disposed so that they are arranged in a first direction. The at least one first array and the at least one second array each include an odd number of structures disposed so that they are arranged in a second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic sensor comprising:
a first path and a second path through each of which a current flows; a plurality of structures disposed on the first path and the second path; and a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes that connect the plurality of structures in series, wherein: the first path includes a plurality of first arrays; the second path includes a plurality of second arrays; the plurality of first arrays in the first path and the plurality of second arrays in the second path are disposed so that the first arrays in the first path and the second arrays in the second path are alternately arranged in a first direction; the plurality of first arrays and the plurality of second arrays each include an odd number of structures among the plurality of structures, the odd number of structures being disposed so as to be arranged in a second direction; at least one of the odd number of structures is a structure including a magnetoresistive element; the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are disposed at different positions in a third direction, and the first electrodes and the second electrodes are alternately arranged in a direction in which the current flows in each of the plurality of first arrays and the plurality of second arrays; each of the plurality of first arrays in the first path includes a first structure located at an end in one direction parallel to the second direction; each of the plurality of second arrays in the second path includes a second structure located at an end in the one direction; the two first structures of two first arrays adjoining with a gap therebetween in the first direction among the plurality of first arrays in the first path are connected to each other by one of the plurality of first electrodes; the two second structures of two second arrays adjoining with a gap therebetween in the first direction among the plurality of second arrays in the second path are connected to each other by one of the plurality of second electrodes; and when seen in the third direction, at least a part of the one of the plurality of first electrodes overlap at least a part of the one of the plurality of second electrodes with each other.

2 . The magnet sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of first arrays in the first path further includes a third structure located at an end in an opposite direction of the one direction parallel to the second direction; each of the plurality of second arrays in the second path includes a fourth structure located at an end in the opposite direction; the two third structures of the two first arrays are connected to each other by another one of the plurality of second electrodes; and the two fourth structures of the two second arrays are connected to each other by another one of the plurality of first electrodes.

3 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 2 , wherein:
at least a part of the other one of the plurality of first electrodes and at least a part of the other one of the plurality of second electrodes overlap with each other when seen in the third direction.

4 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the odd number of structures has a first surface and a second surface located at both ends in the third direction; the first surface is connected to one of the first electrodes; and the second surface is connected to one of the second electrodes.

5 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the first electrodes included in the plurality of first arrays, a number of the second electrodes included in the plurality of first arrays, a number of the first electrodes included in the plurality of second arrays, and a number of the second electrodes included in the plurality of second arrays are the same.

6 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each of the odd number of structures is a structure including the magnetoresistive element.

7 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the odd number of structures other than the structure including the magnetoresistive element is a connection structure configured to connect one of the first electrodes and one of the second electrodes.

8 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the magnetoresistive elements included in the first path and a number of the magnetoresistive elements included in the second path are the same.

9 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the magnetoresistive elements included in each of the first path and the second path is an even number.

10 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first arrays include a first specific array located at an end in a direction parallel to the first direction; the plurality of second arrays include a second specific array located at an end in the direction parallel to the first direction; and when seen in the third direction, a direction in which the current flows through the first specific array and a direction in which the current flows through the second specific array are the same.

11 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first arrays include a first specific array located at an end in a direction parallel to the first direction; the plurality of second arrays include a second specific array located at an end in the direction parallel to the first direction; and when seen in the third direction, a direction in which the current flows through the first specific array and a direction in which the current flows through the second specific array are opposite to each other.

12 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of yokes each formed of a soft magnetic material, wherein:
the plurality of yokes each have a first end face and a second end face located at both ends in the first direction; each of the plurality of first arrays is located near the first end face; and each of the plurality of second arrays is located near the second end face.

13 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply terminal; one or two signal terminals, one or two first signal paths connecting the power supply terminal and the one or two signal terminals; and one or two second signal paths connecting the one or two signal terminals and a ground, wherein: the first path and the second path are two of the one or two first signal paths and the one or two second signal paths.

14 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first power supply terminal; a second power supply terminal; one or two first signal terminals; one or two second signal terminals; one or two first signal paths connecting the first power supply terminal and the one or two first signal terminals; one or two second signal paths connecting the one or two first signal terminals and a ground; one or two third signal paths connecting the second power supply terminal and the one or two second signal terminals; and one or two fourth signal paths connecting the one or two second signal terminals and the ground, wherein: the first path is one of the one or two first signal paths and the one or two second signal paths; and the second path is one of the one or two third signal paths and the one or two fourth signal paths.

15 . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first path further includes a first sub array disposed in the first path between one en

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Hiraki Tetsuya
• Makino Kenzo
• Ohta Naoki

Classifications

• G01R33/0023

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

• G01R33/0005

  Geometrical arrangement of magnetic sensor elements; Apparatus combining different magnetic sensor types (G01R33/0206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/098

  comprising tunnel junctions, e.g. tunnel magnetoresistance sensors · CPC title

• G01R33/093

  using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors (thin magnetic films H01F10/00) · CPC title

• G01R33/09 Primary

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title