Spin Hall Effect Magnetic Sensor With Isolated Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional magnetic sensors face challenges in achieving a narrower reader gap, leading to lower signal output due to shared current injection and signal detection paths, which result in signal shunting and parasitic resistance.
Innovation Solution
The development of spin Hall effect (SHE) sensors with a thin stack design featuring isolated terminals, including a pair of push terminals for current passage and sensing terminals for voltage detection, allowing for perpendicular current flow and voltage sensing, thereby reducing signal shunting and increasing data density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If magnetoresistive sensors are used with smaller spacing between shields, then data density increases, but signal shunting and parasitic resistance increase causing lower signal output
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor structure is segmented into separate current injection terminals and voltage detection terminals. This segmentation allows the current path and voltage measurement path to be electrically isolated, preventing signal shunting between the shields while maintaining small shield spacing for high data density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate magnetic free layer between the spin Hall layer and the shields. This intermediate layer acts as a mediator that enables perpendicular magnetization switching through spin Hall effect while maintaining electrical isolation between the current injection and voltage detection paths, thereby reducing parasitic resistance and signal shunting.
2Measurement precision
If conventional magnetoresistive sensors are used, then magnetic signal detection is achieved, but shared current injection and signal detection paths cause signal shunting
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is segmented into distinct current injection terminals and voltage detection terminals with separate electrical paths. This segmentation eliminates the shared path problem in conventional sensors, preventing signal shunting while maintaining accurate magnetic signal detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from in-plane current flow to perpendicular current flow through the spin Hall layer. This dimensional change in current direction enables separate current injection and voltage detection paths, eliminating signal shunting while preserving magnetic signal detection precision.
3Quantity of substance
If smaller reader gap is achieved, then data density increases, but parasitic resistance increases reducing signal output
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor structure is segmented into separate current injection and voltage detection terminals, creating independent electrical paths. This segmentation allows the reader gap to be minimized for high data density while preventing parasitic resistance from affecting the voltage measurement, as the current and voltage paths are electrically isolated.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The SHE sensors with isolated terminals achieve a narrower reader gap, enhancing data density by minimizing signal shunting and parasitic resistance, resulting in improved magnetic signal detection and increased bits per inch of data track.
Implementation Method 1
Magnetic sensor using spin hall effect
Data Source
AI summary
Magnetic sensors using spin Hall effect and methods for fabricating same are provided. One such magnetic sensor includes a spin Hall layer including an electrically conductive, non-magnetic material, a magnetic free layer adjacent to the spin Hall layer, a pair of push terminals configured to enable an electrical current to pass through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer in a direction that is perpendicular to a plane of the free and spin Hall layers, and a pair of sensing terminals configured to sense a voltage when the electrical current passes through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer, where each of the push and sensing terminals is electrically isolated from the other terminals.