Magnetic Sensors

Abstract

To increase the sensitivity of a magnetic sensor using a magnetic impedance effect.SOLUTION: A magnetic sensor includes: a non-magnetic substrate; a receiving element on the substrate, the receiving element including a soft magnetic body and having a longer direction and a shorter direction and also having the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction that intersects with the longer direction, the sensitive element receiving a magnetic field by the magnetic impedance effect; and a protrusion unit including a soft magnetic body, the protrusion unit protruding from an end of the receiving element in the longer direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor. [Background technology]

[0002] The prior art described in the publication is a magnetic impedance element consisting of a substrate made of a non-magnetic material and a thin-film magnetic core formed on the substrate and provided with electrodes on both longitudinal ends, characterized in that at least two of the thin-film magnetic cores are arranged in parallel and each of the thin-film magnetic cores is electrically connected in series with each other (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-292506 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, a magnetic sensor equipped with a sensing element that senses a magnetic field by the magneto-impedance effect utilizes the fact that the impedance changes depending on the magnetic field (internal magnetic field) applied to the sensing element. Therefore, in order to improve the sensitivity of a magnetic sensor, it is necessary to make the internal magnetic field larger when a certain external magnetic field is applied. An object of the present invention is to improve the sensitivity of a magnetic sensor that uses the magnetoimpedance effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A magnetic sensor to which the present invention is applicable comprises a non-magnetic substrate, a plurality of sensing elements provided on the substrate, including a soft magnetic material, having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, having uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, sensing a magnetic field by a magneto-impedance effect, and arranged in the lateral direction with a gap therebetween, a connection portion connecting the longitudinal ends of the sensing elements adjacent in the lateral direction, and at least one of the sensing elements including a soft magnetic material and a protrusion protruding in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal end of the sensing element, wherein the sensing element has a wide portion at the longitudinal end that is wider and constant in the lateral direction than a central portion in the longitudinal direction, and the lateral width of the protrusion is the same as the lateral width of the wide portion. The connection portion is integrally formed with the sensor element, and the connection portion is connected to the adjacent sensor element at the wide portion. It is characterized by: Moreover, such a magnetic sensor may be characterized in that it has a plurality of the connection parts, and the plurality of the sensing elements are connected in series in a zigzag manner by the plurality of the connection parts. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the sensitivity of a magnetic sensor that uses the magneto-impedance effect. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a magnetic sensor to which a first embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a magnetic field H applied in the longitudinal direction of a sensor element and an impedance Z of the sensor element. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a planar shape of a conventional magnetic sensor that does not have a protrusion. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram showing a simulation result of the magnitude of an internal magnetic field in a sensing part when an external magnetic field of a predetermined magnitude is applied to a magnetic sensor. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the effect of a protrusion portion. [Figure 6] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of a magnetic sensor to which a second embodiment is applied. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a planar shape of a conventional magnetic sensor that does not have a protrusion. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram showing a simulation result of the magnitude of an internal magnetic field in a sensing part when an external magnetic field of a predetermined magnitude is applied to a magnetic sensor. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 shows an example of a magnetic sensor with one sensing element. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating first to fourth modified examples of the magnetic sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [First embodiment] (Configuration of the Magnetic Sensor 1 to which the First Embodiment is Applied) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a magnetic sensor 1 to which a first embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as the first embodiment) is applied. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a magnetic sensor, where (A) is a plan view of the magnetic sensor, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in (A).

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1(A), a magnetic sensor 1 to which the first embodiment is applied includes a non-magnetic substrate 10, a sensing portion 30 provided on the substrate 10 and including a soft magnetic layer that senses a magnetic field, and a protruding portion 40 including a soft magnetic layer.

[0011] The planar structure of the magnetic sensor 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1(A). The magnetic sensor 1 has a rectangular planar shape, for example. The planar shape of the magnetic sensor 1 is a few millimeters square. For example, the length in the longitudinal direction is 4 mm to 6 mm, and the length in the lateral direction is 3 mm to 5 mm. Note that the size of the planar shape of the magnetic sensor 1 may be other values.

[0012] First, the sensing section 30 formed in the magnetic sensor 1 will be described. The sensing section 30 includes a plurality of sensing elements 31, each of which has a rectangular planar shape having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, a connection section 32 that connects adjacent sensing elements 31 in series in a zigzag manner, and a terminal section 33 to which an electric wire for supplying current is connected. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the left-right direction in FIG. 1(A), and the lateral direction corresponds to the up-down direction. In addition, in the magnetic sensor 1, the sensing element 31 is a magneto-impedance effect element that senses a magnetic field or a change in the magnetic field. That is, the magnetic field or a change in the magnetic field is measured by the impedance change of the sensing section 30 to which the sensing elements 31 are connected in series. Hereinafter, the impedance of the sensing section 30 may be referred to as the impedance of the magnetic sensor 1. The magnetic field may be referred to as a magnetic field.

[0013] 1(A), the multiple sensing elements 31 in the magnetic sensor 1 are configured in a rectangular shape with a width W1 in the short side direction and a length L1 in the long side direction. The multiple sensing elements 31 are lined up in the short side direction with gaps G1 between them. Note that the first, second, third, etc. of the multiple sensing elements 31 lined up in the short side direction as counted from the bottom of the page may be referred to as line 1, line 2, line 3, etc., respectively. 1(A) shows a plurality of sensing elements 31, the number of sensing elements 31 may be one. Also, more than the eight shown in the figure may be provided.

[0014] The connection parts 32 are provided at the ends of the sensing elements 31, and connect adjacent sensing elements 31 in series in a zigzag manner at their longitudinal ends. For example, the magnetic sensor in Example 1 shown in Table 1 below has 24 sensing elements 31 and therefore has 23 connection parts 32. In other embodiments, when there is only one sensing element 31, the connecting portion 32 may not be provided.

[0015] The terminal parts 33 are provided at two ends of the sensing element 31 that are not connected by the connection parts 32. The terminal parts 33 function as pad parts for connecting electric wires that supply current. The terminal parts 33 may be of any size that allows electric wires to be connected. In FIG. 1(A), both of the two terminal parts 33 are provided on the right side of the page, but they may be provided on the left side, or may be provided separately on the left and right sides.

[0016] Furthermore, the magnetic sensor 1 is provided with protrusions 40 at both longitudinal ends of the sensing element 31. More specifically, the magnetic sensor 1 is provided with protrusions 40 protruding from both longitudinal ends of the sensing element 31 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the protrusions 40 protrude in the longitudinal direction of the sensing element 31. The protrusions 40 are provided in a rectangular shape with a width in the short direction W1 equal to the width of the sensing element 31 and a length in the longitudinal direction L2.

[0017] The protrusion 40 on the side where the magnetic field lines enter from the outside induces the magnetic field lines from the outside to the sensory element 31. The protrusion 40 on the side where the magnetic field lines exit the sensory element 31 induces the magnetic field lines that have passed through the sensory element 31 to pass through the protrusion 40 as they are. In other words, the protrusion 40 functions as a yoke that induces the magnetic field lines. For this reason, the protrusion 40 includes a soft magnetic material (soft magnetic material layer 101 described later) through which the magnetic field lines can easily pass.

[0018] Here, the protrusion 40 protrudes in the longitudinal direction of the sensing element 31. However, the protrusion 40 may protrude in a direction different (intersecting) from the longitudinal direction, but by protruding the protrusion 40 in the longitudinal direction, it becomes easier to induce magnetic lines of force, as described below. When the magnetic sensor 1 includes a plurality of sensing elements 31, the protrusion 40 protrudes from the sensing part 30 in a comb-tooth shape.

[0019] Next, the cross-sectional structure of the magnetic sensor 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1B. As an example, the magnetic sensor 1 includes four soft magnetic layers 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d from the substrate 10 side. Between the soft magnetic layers 101a and 101b, a magnetic domain suppression layer 102a is provided for suppressing the generation of closure domains in the soft magnetic layers 101a and 101b. Furthermore, between the soft magnetic layers 101c and 101d, the sensitive portion 30 includes a magnetic domain suppression layer 102b for suppressing the generation of closure domains in the soft magnetic layers 101c and 101d. Furthermore, between the soft magnetic layers 101b and 101c, the sensitive portion 30 includes a conductive layer 103 for reducing the resistance (here, electrical resistance) of the sensitive portion 30. When the soft magnetic layers 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are not distinguished from one another, they are referred to as soft magnetic layers 101. When the magnetic domain suppression layers 102a and 102b are not distinguished from one another, they are referred to as magnetic domain suppression layers 102.

[0020] The substrate 10 is a substrate made of a non-magnetic material, and examples of the substrate include an oxide substrate such as glass or sapphire, a semiconductor substrate such as silicon, or a metal substrate such as aluminum, stainless steel, or a metal plated with nickel-phosphorus, etc. In the following description, the substrate 10 is described as being glass.

[0021] The soft magnetic layer 101 is made of a soft magnetic material of an amorphous alloy that exhibits a magneto-impedance effect. As the soft magnetic material that constitutes the soft magnetic layer 101, it is preferable to use an amorphous alloy in which a high melting point metal such as Nb, Ta, or W is added to an alloy mainly composed of Co. Examples of such an alloy mainly composed of Co include CoNbZr, CoFeTa, CoWZr, and CoFeCrMnSiB. The thickness of the soft magnetic layer 101 is, for example, 100 nm to 1 μm. Here, the soft magnetic material is a material that is easily magnetized by an external magnetic field, but quickly returns to a state of no magnetization or a state of low magnetization when the external magnetic field is removed, that is, has a small coercive force. In this specification, the terms "amorphous alloy" and "amorphous metal" refer to those which have a structure that does not have a regular arrangement of atoms as in crystals, and which are formed by a method such as sputtering.

[0022] The magnetic domain suppression layer 102 suppresses the generation of closure domains in the upper and lower soft magnetic layers 101 that sandwich the magnetic domain suppression layer 102 . In general, a plurality of magnetic domains with different magnetization directions are easily formed in the soft magnetic layer 101. In this case, a closure magnetic domain with a ring-shaped magnetization direction is formed. When the external magnetic field becomes stronger, the magnetic domain walls move, and the area of ​​the magnetic domains with the same magnetization direction as the external magnetic field becomes larger, and the area of ​​the magnetic domains with the opposite magnetization direction to the external magnetic field becomes smaller. When the external magnetic field becomes stronger, magnetization rotation occurs in the magnetic domains with the magnetization direction different from the external magnetic field so that the magnetization direction becomes the same as the external magnetic field. Finally, the magnetic domain walls existing between adjacent magnetic domains disappear, and one magnetic domain (single magnetic domain) is formed. In other words, when a closure magnetic domain is formed, the Barkhausen effect occurs in which the magnetic domain walls constituting the closure magnetic domains move discontinuously in a step-like manner as the external magnetic field changes. This discontinuous movement of the magnetic domain walls becomes noise in the magnetic sensor 1, and there is a risk of causing a decrease in the S / N ratio in the output obtained from the magnetic sensor 1. The magnetic domain suppression layer 102 suppresses the formation of multiple small magnetic domains in the soft magnetic layers 101 provided above and below the magnetic domain suppression layer 102. This suppresses the formation of closure domains and suppresses the generation of noise caused by discontinuous movement of domain walls. Note that it is sufficient for the magnetic domain suppression layer 102 to have the effect of forming fewer magnetic domains, i.e., larger magnetic domains, compared to a case where the magnetic domain suppression layer 102 is not included.

[0023] Examples of such a magnetic domain suppression layer 102 include non-magnetic materials such as Ru and SiO2, and non-magnetic amorphous metals such as CrTi, AlTi, CrB, CrTa, CoW, etc. The thickness of such a magnetic domain suppression layer 102 is, for example, 10 nm to 100 nm.

[0024] The conductive layer 103 reduces the resistance of the sensing part 30. More specifically, the conductive layer 103 has a higher conductivity than the soft magnetic layer 101, and reduces the resistance of the sensing part 30 compared to the case where the conductive layer 103 is not included. The magnetic sensor 1 measures a magnetic field or a change in the magnetic field as a change (ΔZ) in impedance (hereinafter, referred to as impedance Z) when an AC current flows between the two terminal parts 33. In this case, the higher the frequency of the AC current, the larger the change rate ΔZ / ΔH (hereinafter, impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH) of the impedance Z with respect to a change in the external magnetic field (here, referred to as ΔH). However, if the frequency of the AC current is increased without including the conductive layer 103, the impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH is reduced due to the stray capacitance in the magnetic sensor 1. If the resistance of the sensitive part 30 is R, the stray capacitance is C, and the magnetic sensor 1 is a parallel circuit of the resistance R and the stray capacitance C, then the relaxation frequency f0 of the magnetic sensor 1 can be expressed by equation (1).

[0025]

number

[0026] As can be seen from formula (1), when the stray capacitance C is large, the relaxation frequency f0 becomes small, and when the frequency of the AC current is made higher than the relaxation frequency f0, the impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH decreases. Therefore, the conductive layer 103 is provided to reduce the resistance R of the sensing part 30, thereby increasing the relaxation frequency f0.

[0027] As the conductive layer 103, it is preferable to use a metal or alloy having high conductivity, and it is more preferable to use a metal or alloy having high conductivity and non-magnetic. As the conductive layer 103, metals such as Al, Cu, Ag, and Au can be used. The thickness of the conductive layer 103 is, for example, 10 nm to 1 μm. The conductive layer 103 may be any layer that reduces the resistance of the sensing unit 30 compared to a case where the conductive layer 103 is not included.

[0028] The upper and lower soft magnetic layers 101 sandwiching the magnetic domain suppression layer 102, and the upper and lower soft magnetic layers 101 sandwiching the conductive layer 103 are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other (AFC). The upper and lower soft magnetic layers 101 are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other, thereby suppressing the demagnetizing field and improving the sensitivity of the magnetic sensor 1.

[0029] (Magnetic sensor manufacturing) The magnetic sensor 1 to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied is manufactured as follows. First, a photoresist pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate 10 by a known photolithography technique, covering the surface of the substrate 10 except for the planar shape of the sensing portion 30 and the protruding portion 40. Next, the soft magnetic layer 101a, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102a, the soft magnetic layer 101b, the conductive layer 103, the soft magnetic layer 101c, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102b, and the soft magnetic layer 101d are deposited on the substrate 10 in this order, for example, by a sputtering method. Then, the soft magnetic layer 101a, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102a, the soft magnetic layer 101b, the conductive layer 103, the soft magnetic layer 101c, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102b, and the soft magnetic layer 101d deposited on the photoresist are removed together with the photoresist. Then, a laminate consisting of the soft magnetic layer 101a, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102a, the soft magnetic layer 101b, the conductive layer 103, the soft magnetic layer 101c, the magnetic domain suppression layer 102b, and the soft magnetic layer 101d, which has been processed into the planar shape of the sensing part 30 and the protrusion 40, remains on the substrate 10. In this manner, the laminate structure shown in FIG. 1(B) is formed.

[0030] The soft magnetic layer 101 is provided with uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction, for example, in the transverse direction. The direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction may have an angle of more than 45° and not more than 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction. The uniaxial magnetic anisotropy can be provided by subjecting the sensing element 31 formed on the substrate 10 to, for example, heat treatment at 400°C in a rotating magnetic field of 3kG (0.3T) (heat treatment in a rotating magnetic field) and subsequent heat treatment at 400°C in a static magnetic field of 3kG (0.3T) (heat treatment in a static magnetic field). Instead of providing the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy by the heat treatment in a rotating magnetic field and the heat treatment in a static magnetic field, the magnetron sputtering method may be used when depositing the soft magnetic layer 101 constituting the sensing element 31. That is, the magnetic field generated by a magnet used in magnetron sputtering imparts uniaxial magnetic anisotropy to the soft magnetic layer 101 at the same time as the soft magnetic layer 101 is deposited.

[0031] In the manufacturing method described above, the connection portion 32, the terminal portion 33, and the protrusion portion 40 are formed integrally with the sensing element 31 at the same time. The connection portion 32 and the terminal portion 33 may be made of a conductive metal such as Al, Cu, Ag, Au, etc. Also, a conductive metal such as Al, Cu, Ag, Au, etc. may be laminated on the connection portion 32 and the terminal portion 33 which are integrally formed with the sensing element 31 at the same time. Furthermore, the protrusion 40 may be made of a different type of soft magnetic material than the sensing element 31 .

[0032] (Relationship between magnetic field and impedance) Here, the relationship between the magnetic field applied in the longitudinal direction of the sensing element 31 of the magnetic sensor and the impedance of the sensing part 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the horizontal axis represents the magnetic field H, and the vertical axis represents the impedance Z.

[0033] 2, the impedance Z of the sensing part 30 has a value Z0 when the magnetic field H applied in the longitudinal direction of the sensing element 31 is 0. The impedance Z increases as the magnetic field H increases, and reaches a maximum value Zk when the magnetic field H becomes an anisotropic magnetic field Hk. Conversely, the impedance Z decreases when the magnetic field H becomes larger than the anisotropic magnetic field Hk. The change Zk-Z0 from the impedance Z0 to the maximum value Zk of the impedance Z is referred to as the impedance change ΔZmax. In the range where the magnetic field H is smaller than the anisotropic magnetic field Hk, by using the part where the change in impedance Z ΔZ is large relative to the change in magnetic field H ΔH, that is, the part where the impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH is large, it is possible to extract the weak change ΔH in the magnetic field H as the change in impedance Z ΔZ. In Figure 2, the center of the magnetic field H where the impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH is large is shown as the magnetic field Hb. In other words, the change in magnetic field H ΔH in the vicinity of the magnetic field Hb (the range indicated by the ΔH arrow in Figure 2) can be measured with high accuracy. Here, the sensitivity is the part where the impedance change rate ΔZ / ΔH is the largest, that is, the impedance change amount Zmax per unit magnetic field in the magnetic field Hb divided by the impedance Zb in the magnetic field Hb (Zmax / Zb). The higher the sensitivity Zmax / Zb, the greater the magneto-impedance effect, and the easier it is to measure the magnetic field or changes in the magnetic field. In other words, the steeper the change in impedance Z with respect to the magnetic field H, the higher the sensitivity Zmax / Zb. For this, the smaller the anisotropic magnetic field Hk, the better. Also, the larger the impedance change amount ΔZmax, the better.

[0034] That is, in a magnetic sensor, it is preferable that the sensitivity Zmax / Zb is high, and for this, it is preferable that the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is small, and it is also preferable that the amount of change in impedance ΔZmax is large. In the following description, the sensitivity Zmax / Zb is referred to as the sensitivity Smax. Furthermore, the magnetic field Hb is sometimes called the bias magnetic field Hb.

[0035] (Function of magnetic sensor 1) Next, the operation of the magnetic sensor 1 to which the first embodiment is applied will be described while comparing it with a conventional magnetic sensor 1′ that does not have the protrusion 40 (hereinafter, referred to as the conventional magnetic sensor).

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a planar shape of a conventional magnetic sensor 1 ′ that does not have a protrusion 40 . The conventional magnetic sensor 1' has a similar configuration to the magnetic sensor 1 shown in Fig. 1(A) except that it does not have the protruding portion 40. More specifically, the conventional magnetic sensor 1' is composed of a sensing portion 30 consisting of a plurality of sensing elements 31, a connection portion 32, and a terminal portion 33, and a non-magnetic substrate 10.

[0037] Fig. 4 shows the results of a simulation of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 when a predetermined external magnetic field is applied to the magnetic sensors 1, 1'. Fig. 4(A) shows the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 as a distribution along the longitudinal direction, and Fig. 4(B) shows the internal magnetic field in each line of the magnetic sensors 1, 1'. Note that Fig. 4(A) shows the shapes of the sensing element 31, the connection part 32, and the protrusion 40 of the magnetic sensors 1, 1' in addition to the magnitude of the magnetic field related to the sensing part 30.

[0038] In this simulation, the external magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensors 1, 1' is 10 Oe. The number of sensing elements 31 in the magnetic sensors 1, 1' is 24 (lines 1 to 24), the width W1 of the sensing elements 31 is 0.1 mm, the length L1 is 4.2 mm, the gap G1 between adjacent sensing elements 31 is 0.05 mm, and the length L2 of the protruding portion 40 of the magnetic sensor 1 is 1.0 mm.

[0039] 4(A) shows the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 of the magnetic sensor 1, 1' as a distribution along the longitudinal direction. The horizontal axis is the position X (mm) in the longitudinal direction of the sensing part 30, and the vertical axis is the magnitude (Oe) of the internal magnetic field at the position X. Note that only the results for region IV indicated by the dashed line are shown, not the entire longitudinal direction of the sensing part 30.

[0040] 4(A), in the magnetic sensor 1, the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 is larger than that in the conventional magnetic sensor 1'. Also, the sudden drop in the magnetic field at the longitudinal end portion observed in the conventional magnetic sensor 1' is suppressed in the magnetic sensor 1. As a result, the internal magnetic field is uniform along the longitudinal direction.

[0041] 4(B) shows the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in each of lines 1 to 24 of the sensing element 31 included in the magnetic sensors 1 and 1'. The horizontal axis is the number N of the corresponding line, and the vertical axis is the average value (Oe) of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in line N. The error bars indicate the distribution of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in line N.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4(B), in the magnetic sensor 1, the magnitude of the internal magnetic field is larger in all lines (lines 1 to 24) of the sensing part 30 compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 1'. Also, the distribution (error bars) of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field is smaller in all lines. That is, in the magnetic sensor 1, the internal magnetic field in all lines is more uniform in the longitudinal direction compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 1'.

[0043] 4(A) and (B), in the magnetic sensor 1, the magnetic field is concentrated on the sensing element 31, increasing the magnetic flux density. Also, a decrease in the magnetic flux density at the end of the sensing element 31 is suppressed. Furthermore, compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 1', the magnitude of the magnetic field associated with the sensing element 31 becomes uniform along the longitudinal direction, and the magnetic field associated with the sensing element 31 becomes larger.

[0044] Here, the effect of the protrusion 40 will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the magnitude of the internal magnetic field when an external magnetic field is applied, over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the magnetic sensor. Fig. 5(A) corresponds to a conventional magnetic sensor 1' that does not have a protrusion, and Fig. 5(B) corresponds to a magnetic sensor 1 that has a protrusion. The arrows in Fig. 5 indicate the current applied when the magnetic sensor is operated.

[0045] In the conventional magnetic sensor 1' shown in Fig. 5(A), the internal magnetic field is strong in the center of the sensing element 31, but the internal magnetic field drops sharply at both ends in the longitudinal direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 5(A), when a current is applied to this conventional magnetic sensor 1', the current flows through both ends where the internal magnetic field is weak. As a result, the impedance change that occurs in the magnetic sensor 1' becomes small, and there is a risk of the sensitivity decreasing. On the other hand, in the magnetic sensor 1 shown in FIG. 5(B), by having the protruding portion 40, magnetic lines of force from a wide external range are induced to the sensing element 31. In addition, the magnetic lines of force that have passed through the sensing element 31 are induced to pass through the protruding portion 40 as they are. Therefore, a sudden decrease in the internal magnetic field at both ends of the sensing element 31 in the longitudinal direction is suppressed. In other words, the areas of the internal magnetic field that are weak are pressed against the ends of the protruding portion 40 from both ends of the sensing element 31. In this magnetic sensor 1, the internal magnetic field in the part where the current flows is strong and uniform throughout the longitudinal direction. As a result, in the magnetic sensor 1, the impedance change that occurs is larger than in the magnetic sensor 1', and the sensitivity is improved.

[0046] Table 1 shows the values ​​of the average magnetic field, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk, the amount of change in impedance ΔZmax, and the sensitivity Smax for the magnetic sensor 1 to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied and the conventional magnetic sensor 1'. The shapes in Table 1 indicate which of the configurations of the magnetic sensors 1 and 1' described in Figures 1 and 3 correspond to each other. Shape 1 corresponds to the magnetic sensor 1 to which the first embodiment shown in Figure 1(A) is applied, and shape 1' corresponds to the conventional magnetic sensor 1' shown in Figure 3.

[0047] Examples 1 to 3 and comparative examples 1 and 2 listed in Table 1 are magnetic sensors in which the substrate 10 is a glass substrate, the soft magnetic layers 101a to 101d are 500 nm thick Co17Nb3Zr layers, the magnetic domain suppression layers 102a and 102b are 25 nm thick CrTi layers, and the conductive layer 103 is a 400 nm thick Ag layer.

[0048] The average magnetic field in Table 1 was obtained from the results of the computer simulation described above. More specifically, it is the average value of the internal magnetic field in the length direction of each sensing element 31 of the magnetic sensor when an external magnetic field of 10 Oe is applied to the magnetic sensor, averaged over all sensing elements 31 (all lines) of the magnetic sensor. The values ​​of the anisotropic magnetic field Hk, the impedance change ΔZmax, and the sensitivity Smax in Table 1 were determined by measuring each of the magnetic sensors by passing a high frequency current of 100 MHz between the two terminals 33.

[0049] [Table 1]

[0050] Both Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 have a configuration in which 24 sensing elements 31, each having a width W1 of 0.1 mm and a length L1 of 4.2 mm, are arranged with a gap G1 of 0.05 mm between them. Example 1 also has a protrusion 40 with a length L2 of 1.0 mm. As shown in Table 1, in Example 1, the average magnetic field is larger than that in Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is reduced, and the impedance change ΔZmax and the sensitivity Smax are improved.

[0051] Comparative Example 2 and Examples 2 and 3 are different from Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 in that the length L1 of the sensing element 31 is 3.2 mm. Example 2 has a protrusion 40 with a length L2 of 1.0 mm, and Example 3 has a protrusion with a length L2 of 1.5 mm. As shown in Table 1, in Examples 2 and 3, the average magnetic field is larger than that in Comparative Example 2. In addition, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is reduced, and the impedance change amount ΔZmax and the sensitivity Smax are improved. In Example 3, which has a longer protrusion 40, the average magnetic field is larger than that in Example 2. In addition, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is reduced, and the impedance change amount ΔZmax and the sensitivity Smax are improved.

[0052] As described above, in the magnetic sensor 1 (Examples 1 to 3) to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied, the protrusion 40 is provided, and thus the sensitivity is improved compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 1' (Comparative Examples 1 and 2). Moreover, since it was found that the sensitivity was improved by increasing the length L2 of the protrusion 40, in the magnetic sensor 1, the desired sensitivity can be obtained by adjusting the dimensions of the protrusion 40.

[0053] [Second embodiment] (Configuration of the Magnetic Sensor 2 to which the Second Embodiment is Applied) Next, an example of the magnetic sensor 2 to which a second embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as the second embodiment) is applied will be described. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of the magnetic sensor, in which (A) is a plan view of the magnetic sensor 2 and (B) is an enlarged view of a region III in (A). In the following description of the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 1) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6(A), the magnetic sensor 2, like the magnetic sensor 1 to which the first embodiment is applied, comprises a non-magnetic substrate 10, a sensing portion 30 provided on the substrate 10 and including a soft magnetic layer that senses a magnetic field, and a protrusion 40 including a soft magnetic layer. The magnetic sensor 2 has, for example, the same cross-sectional structure (see FIG. 1(B)) as that of the magnetic sensor 1 to which the first embodiment is applied.

[0055] Similar to the magnetic sensor 1, the sensing section 30 of the magnetic sensor 2 includes a plurality of sensing elements 31, a connection section 32 that connects adjacent sensing elements 31 in series in a zigzag manner, and a terminal section 33 to which an electric wire for supplying electric current is connected.

[0056] 6(B), the sensing element 31 of the magnetic sensor 2 has, at both ends in the longitudinal direction, wide portions 311 that are wider in the short direction than the central portion, and tapered portions 312 that gradually increase in width from the central portion to the wide portion 311. The tapered portion 312 has two sides 312a, 312b extending along the longitudinal direction, and the distance between the two sides 312a, 312b becomes narrower as it approaches the central portion of the sensing element 31. 6(B), the inclination angles θa and θb formed by the sides 312a and 312b of the tapered portion 312 and the longitudinal direction are 135 degrees. The inclination angles θa and θb vary depending on the width of the wide portion 311 and the central portion of the sensing element 31 in the short-side direction, and can be set within the range of 110 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less, for example.

[0057] 6(A), the multiple sensing elements 31 in the magnetic sensor 2 are configured with a width W1 at the center in the longitudinal direction, a width W2 at the end wide parts 311, and a length L1 in the longitudinal direction. Note that the width W2 is greater than the width W1. The multiple sensing elements 31 are lined up in the short direction with gaps between them, and the gaps are G1 where the sensing element 31 has a width W2 (wide portion 311 at the end in the long direction) and G2 where the sensing element 31 has a width W1 (central portion in the long direction). As with the magnetic sensor 1, the first, second, third, etc. of the multiple sensing elements 31 lined up in the short direction, counting from the bottom of the page, may be referred to as line 1, line 2, line 3, etc., respectively.

[0058] The connection parts 32 are provided between the longitudinal ends of the sensing elements 31, and connect the adjacent sensing elements 31 in series in a zigzag manner. In the magnetic sensor 2, the ends of the sensing elements 31 have wide parts 311, and the adjacent sensing elements 31 are connected at the wide parts 311.

[0059] The protrusion 40 is configured in a rectangular shape with a width equal to the width in the short side direction of the wide portion 311 of the sensing element 31. The protrusion 40 protrudes in the longitudinal direction, similar to the magnetic sensor 1. Furthermore, the protrusion 40 is rectangular in shape with a width in the short side direction W2 equal to the width of the wide portion 311 and a length in the long side direction L2. This makes it easier to guide magnetic lines of force from the outside to the sensing element 31, compared to when the width of the protrusion 40 is smaller than the width of the sensing element 31. In addition, it also makes it easier to guide magnetic lines of force that have passed through the sensing element 31 to the protrusion 40.

[0060] (Function of magnetic sensor 2) Next, the operation of the magnetic sensor 2 to which the second embodiment is applied will be described while comparing it with a conventional magnetic sensor 2' that does not have the protrusion 40. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the planar shape of a conventional magnetic sensor 2 ′ that does not have a protrusion 40 .

[0061] The conventional magnetic sensor 2' shown in Fig. 7 has a similar configuration to the magnetic sensor 2 shown in Fig. 6(A) except that it does not have the protruding portion 40. More specifically, the conventional magnetic sensor 2' is composed of a sensing portion 30 consisting of a plurality of sensing elements 31 having a wide portion 311 and a tapered portion 312, a connection portion 32, and a terminal portion 33, and a non-magnetic substrate 10.

[0062] Fig. 8 shows the results of a simulation of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 when a predetermined external magnetic field is applied to the magnetic sensors 2, 2'. Fig. 8(A) shows the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in the sensing part 30 as a distribution along the longitudinal direction, and Fig. 8(B) shows the internal magnetic field in each line of the magnetic sensors 2, 2'. Note that Fig. 8(A) shows the shapes of the sensing element 31, the connection part 32, and the protrusion 40 of the magnetic sensors 2, 2' in addition to the magnitude of the magnetic field related to the sensing part 30.

[0063] In this simulation, the external magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensors 2, 2' is 10 Oe. The number of sensing elements 31 in the magnetic sensors 2, 2' is eight (lines 1 to 8), the width W1 of the sensing elements 31 is 0.08 mm, W2 is 0.38 mm, the length L1 is 3.9 mm, the gap G1 between adjacent sensing elements 31 is 0.12 mm, G2 is 0.42 mm, the inclination angle θa=θb=135 degrees, and the length L2 of the protrusion 40 of the magnetic sensor 2 is 1.0 mm.

[0064] 8(A), the magnetic sensor 2 having the protrusion 40 has a larger internal magnetic field than a conventional magnetic sensor 2' that does not have the protrusion 40. In addition, the decrease in the magnetic field at the longitudinal ends is suppressed.

[0065] 8(B) shows the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in each of lines 1 to 8 of the sensing element 31 provided in the magnetic sensors 2, 2'. The horizontal axis is the number N of the corresponding line, and the vertical axis is the average value (Oe) of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in line N. The error bars show the distribution of the magnitude of the internal magnetic field in line N. As shown in FIG. 8(B), in the magnetic sensor 2, the magnitude of the internal magnetic field is greater in all the lines (lines 1 to 8) of the sensitive part 30, compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 2'.

[0066] In the magnetic sensor 2 to which the second embodiment is applied, the protrusion 40 has a width equal to the width in the short direction of the wide portion 311 of the sensing element 31, so that magnetic field lines from a wide range outside are guided to the sensing element 31. In addition, the magnetic field lines that have passed through the sensing element 31 are guided to pass through the protrusion 40 as they are. As a result, in the magnetic sensor 2, the magnetic field is concentrated on the sensing element 31, resulting in a higher magnetic flux density, compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 2'. Also, a decrease in magnetic flux density at the end of the sensing element 31 is suppressed. And, the magnetic field associated with the sensing element 31 is stronger, compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 2'.

[0067] Furthermore, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 8, in the magnetic sensor 2, the internal magnetic field of the sensing element 31 is larger than that of the magnetic sensor 1. In the magnetic sensor 2, the end of the sensing element 31 has the wide portion 311 and the tapered portion 312, so the above-mentioned effect of inducing the magnetic lines of force is greater than in the magnetic sensor 1, in which the sensing element 31 has a rectangular shape. As a result, in the magnetic sensor 2, the magnetic field associated with the sensing element 31 is greater than in the magnetic sensor 1.

[0068] Table 2 shows the values ​​of the average magnetic field, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk, the amount of change in impedance ΔZmax, and the sensitivity Smax for the magnetic sensor 2 to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied and the conventional magnetic sensor 2'. The shapes in Table 2 indicate which of the configurations of the magnetic sensors 2 and 2' described in Figures 6 and 7 they correspond to. Shape 2 corresponds to the magnetic sensor 2 to which the second embodiment shown in Figure 6(A) is applied, and shape 2' corresponds to the conventional magnetic sensor 2' shown in Figure 7.

[0069] Like Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 listed in Table 1, Example 4 and Comparative Example 3 listed in Table 2 are magnetic sensors in which the substrate 10 is a glass substrate, the soft magnetic layers 101a to 101d are Co17Nb3Zr layers having a thickness of 500 nm, the magnetic domain suppression layers 102a and 102b are CrTi layers having a thickness of 25 nm, and the conductive layer 103 is an Ag layer having a thickness of 400 nm. The average magnetic field, anisotropic magnetic field Hk, impedance change ΔZmax, and sensitivity Smax in Table 2 were determined in the same manner as the respective values ​​in Table 1. [Table 2]

[0070] In both Comparative Example 3 and Example 4, the width W1=0.08 mm, W2=0.38 mm, and length L1=3.9 mm are arranged with eight sensing elements 31, each having a tapered portion 312 with an inclination angle θa=θb=135 degrees, spaced apart by a gap G1=0.12 mm, G2=0.42 mm. Only Example 4 has a protruding portion 40 with a length L2=1.0 mm.

[0071] As shown in Table 2, in Example 4, the average magnetic field is larger than that in Comparative Example 3. In addition, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is reduced, and the sensitivity Smax is improved. Furthermore, in Example 4 including the sensing element 31 having the wide portion 311 and the tapered portion 312, the average magnetic field is larger than those in Examples 1 to 3 (see Table 1) including the rectangular sensing element 31. Also, the anisotropic magnetic field Hk is reduced, and the sensitivity Smax is improved.

[0072] As described above, in the magnetic sensor 2 to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied (Example 4), by having the protrusion 40, the sensitivity is improved compared to the conventional magnetic sensor 2' (Comparative Example 3). Furthermore, the magnetic sensor 2 (Example 4) equipped with the sensing element 31 having the wide portion 311 and the tapered portion 312 has improved sensitivity compared to the magnetic sensor 1 (Examples 1 to 3) equipped with the rectangular sensing element 31. Since the addition of the wide portion 311 and the tapered portion 312 improved the sensitivity, the desired sensitivity can be obtained by adjusting the shape of the sensing element 31.

[0073] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first and second embodiments, magnetic sensors 1 and 2 having multiple sensing elements 31 were described. However, as shown in FIG. 9, even in a magnetic sensor 3 having a single sensing element 31, the sensitivity is improved by providing a protrusion 40 compared to a case in which the protrusion 40 is not provided.

[0074] Also, for example, in the magnetic sensors 1, 2, and 3, the width of the connection portion 32 may be adjusted. Here, Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modification in which the width of the connection portion 32 is adjusted with respect to Example 1 in Table 1. Fig. 10(A) shows the planar shape of Example 1, and Figs. 10(B) to (D) show the planar shapes of Modifications 1 to 4. Note that part of the structure of the magnetic sensor, such as the substrate 10, is omitted in Fig. 10.

[0075] 10B and 10C show a first modification in which the longitudinal width of the connection portion 32 is made wider than that of the first embodiment, and a second modification in which the width is made even wider than that of the first embodiment, respectively. Here, as the longitudinal width of the connection portion 32 becomes wider, the length L1 of the sensory element 31 becomes larger. In the first and second modified examples, the length L2 of the protruding portion 40 is made shorter by the amount of the increase in length L1, and the sum of the lengths L1+L2 is configured to be equal between the first embodiment and the first and second modified examples. As shown in the figure, among the multiple sensory elements 31 in the first and second modified examples, the sensory element 31' arranged at the end in the short direction is not connected to the connection portion 32 at one longitudinal end (the right side in the figure). Therefore, the length L2' of the protruding portion 40' protruding from one end of this sensory element 31' is equal to the length L2 in the first embodiment.

[0076] 10(D), the sum of lengths L1+L2 is equal to that of Example 1, and the width of the connection portion 32 is further increased, resulting in no protrusion 40 protruding from the end of the sensory element 31 (L2=0). However, in the sensory element 31' aligned at the end in the short direction, a protrusion 40' protrudes from one end in the long direction (right side in the figure) with a length L2' equal to the length L2 of the protrusion in Example 1. In such a magnetic sensor having a plurality of sensing elements, it is sufficient that at least one of the sensing elements has a protruding portion protruding from an end in the longitudinal direction.

[0077] Furthermore, the modified example 4 shown in Fig. 10(E) differs from the modified example 3 only in the shape of the longitudinal end of the sensory element 31' and the shape of the protruding portion 40'. More specifically, the sensory element 31' has a trapezoidal wing portion 41a extending in the lateral direction on the side of the longitudinal end different from the end from which the protruding portion 40' protrudes (the left side in the figure). Moreover, the protruding portion 40' of the sensory element 31' has a substantially trapezoidal wing portion 41b extending in the lateral direction. In this way, in addition to increasing the width of the connection portion 32, the sensing element 31 (31') and the protrusion 40 (40') may be modified to a shape other than a rectangular shape.

[0078] The above-described modified examples 1 to 4 can also provide substantially the same effects as in Example 1. More specifically, modified examples 1 to 4 function as magnetic sensors having substantially the same average magnetic field and values ​​of Hk, ΔZmax, and Smax as those in Example 1.

[0079] In addition, in the magnetic sensors 1, 2, and 3, the protrusion 40 protruding in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the longitudinal direction) from the longitudinal end of the sensing element 31 is illustrated, but the protrusion 40 may protrude in a direction different from the longitudinal direction (direction intersecting the longitudinal direction). In other words, the protrusion 40 may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, in the magnetic sensors 1, 2, and 3, the protrusions 40 of the same length and shape are provided on both ends of the sensing element 31 in the longitudinal direction, but the lengths and shapes of the protrusions 40 at both ends may be different. Also, like the protrusion 40' in the above-mentioned modified examples 3 and 4, a protrusion may be provided on only one end in the longitudinal direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1, 2...magnetic sensor, 1', 2'...conventional magnetic sensor, 10...substrate, 30...sensing portion, 31...sensing element, 32...connecting portion, 33...terminal portion, 40...protruding portion, 101...soft magnetic layer, 102...magnetic domain suppression layer, 103...conductive layer, 311...wide portion, 312...tapered portion

Claims

1. A non-magnetic substrate; a plurality of sensing elements provided on the substrate, each including a soft magnetic material, each having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, each having uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, each sensing a magnetic field by a magneto-impedance effect, and arranged with gaps in between in the lateral direction; A connection portion that connects the longitudinal ends of the sensing elements adjacent to each other in the short side direction; At least one of the sensing elements includes a soft magnetic material and includes a protrusion protruding in the longitudinal direction from an end of the sensing element in the longitudinal direction; The sensor element has a wide portion at an end in the longitudinal direction of the sensor element, the wide portion having a constant width in the short side direction that is wider than a central portion in the longitudinal direction, The width of the protruding portion in the short side direction is the same as the width of the wide portion in the short side direction, The connection portion is integral with the sensing element, The connection portion connects the adjacent sensing element at the wide portion. A magnetic sensor comprising:

2. The connecting portion includes a plurality of connecting portions, The plurality of sensing elements are connected in series in a zigzag manner by the plurality of connection parts.

2. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 .

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