Magnetic encoder having a stable output property with unsaturated magnetic sensor

Abstract

The present invention provides a magnetic sensor suitable for high resolution and having high reliability by achieving stable output even at the occurrence of variations in a gap between a magnetic medium and the magnetic sensor, and a magnetic encoder using the magnetic sensor. The present invention uses a magnetoresistive element having magnetoresistive properties that satisfy the inequation, H10-50<H50-90, where H10-50 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×10% to ΔR×50% with respect to a maximum amount of resistance change ΔR on a magnetoresitance effect curve, and H50-90 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×50% to ΔR×90%.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY[0001]The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 2007-021372 filed on Jan. 31, 2007, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor having a Spin-valve type giant magnetoresistive element and a magnetic encoder using the same.[0004]2. Background Art[0005]Recently, there have been strong demands that a magnetic encoder for use in consumer electronics equipment such as a digital still camera and an ink jet printer achieves high resolution and low power consumption in addition to small size and low price.[0006]Heretofore, an anisotropic magnetoresitance effect (hereinafter referred to simply as “AMR”) film made of a NiFe (nickel-iron) alloy film or the like has been used for a magnetic sensor to be mounted to the magnetic encoder. The AMR effect is a phenomenon in which electrical resistance changes accord...

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Benefits of technology

[0012]An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a magnetic encoder having high resolution and having high reliability with little change in output even at the occurrence of variations in the magnetic gap between the magnetic sensor and the magnetic medium.

[0013]To fabricate a magnetic encoder configured of a magnetic medium periodically magnetized and a magnetic sensor formed of plural magnetoresistive elements, each using a Spin-valve type GMR film, the present invention uses the magnetoresistive element that exhibits a characteristic response for magnetic field. Generally, the magnetoresistive element is often desired to have linear magnetic parametric performance for signal magnetic field. However, the present invention fabricates and uses the magnetoresistive element having nonlinear magnetoresistive properties for signal magnetic field. Specifically, the present invention uses the magnetoresistive element that satisfies the equation, H10-50<H50-90, where H10-50 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×10% to ΔR×50% with respect to a maximum amount of resistance change (hereinafter referred to simply as “ΔR”) in process of a resistance change occurring according to an external magnetic field parallel to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic pinned layer, and H50-90 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×50% to ΔR×90%. In other words, the magnetoresistive element for use in the present invention has high sensitivity in a changing region where the amount of resistance change increases from ΔR×10% to ΔR×50% in process of a transition of the amount of resistance change from zero to ΔR, and has low sensitivity in a changing region where the amount thereof increases from ΔR×50% to ΔR×90%. Preferably, the present invention uses the magnetoresistive element that satisfies the equation, 1.5<H50-90 / H10-50<4.0. This enables suppressing the unintentional output setoff involved in the superposition of outputs. Moreover, the suppression of the output setoff involved in the superposition of outputs enables achieving stable output characteristics, even at the occurrence of variations in the magnetic gap between the magnetic sensor and the magnetic medium.

[0016]The present invention enables achieving a magnetic encoder capable of achieving stable output, suitable for high resolution, and having high reliability, even at the occurrence of variations in the magnetic gap between the magnetic medium and the magnetic sensor.

Problems solved by technology

However, the use of the Spin-valve type GMR element in place of the AMR element or the coupled GMR element has the problem of reducing resolution by half.

However, this superposition has difficulty in achieving sufficiently high output because it can possibly cause unintentional output setoff.

On the other hand, in process of a series of examinations, it has been shown that too narrow a magnetic gap also causes a decrease in the output from the magnetic sensor.

In other words, the prior art has difficulty in achieving the magnetic encoder suitable for high resolution and also having high reliability, because of being incapable of achieving stable high output at the occurrence of fluctuations in the magnetic gap between the magnetic sensor and the magnetic medium.

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