US 12,092,705 B2
Magnetic sensor, position detection apparatus and electronic device
Takafumi Kobayashi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to TDK Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TDK Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/354,909.
Application 18/354,909 is a continuation of application No. 17/552,994, filed on Dec. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,747,409.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-020553 (JP), filed on Feb. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0358827 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01R 33/09 (2006.01); G01R 33/00 (2006.01); G01R 33/421 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/093 (2013.01) [G01R 33/0023 (2013.01); G01R 33/4215 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic sensor comprising:
a magnetic field conversion unit that receives an input magnetic field component input along a first direction and outputs an output magnetic field including an output magnetic field component along a second direction crossed to the first direction;
a magnetic field detection unit; and
a magnetic shield that shields external magnetic fields along the second direction;
wherein the magnetic field conversion unit has a shape in which the length in a third direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction is longer than the length in the second direction, when viewed along the first direction;
the magnetic shield is provided at a position overlapping the magnetic field conversion unit and the magnetic field detection unit, when viewed along the first direction;
the magnetic field detection unit is configured to output a signal corresponding to the input magnetic field component, based on the output magnetic field component applied to the magnetic field detection unit;
the magnetic field detection unit comprises a Wheatstone bridge circuit in which a first bridge circuit, which includes a first magnetic field detection unit and a second magnetic field detection unit, and a second bridge circuit, which includes a third magnetic field detection unit and a fourth magnetic field detection unit, are connected in parallel;
the first through fourth magnetic field detection units each include a first magnetoresistive unit and a second magnetoresistive unit;
the first magnetoresistive unit and the second magnetoresistive unit included in each of the first through fourth magnetic field detection units have magnetoresistive effect elements that include magnetization fixed layers, the magnetization directions of which differ from each other;
the first direction is perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the magnetization fixed layers;
the second direction and the third direction are parallel to the in-plane direction of the magnetization fixed layers; and
the magnetization direction of the magnetization fixed layers of the magnetoresistive effect elements included in the first magnetoresistive unit and the magnetization direction of the magnetization fixed layers of the magnetoresistive effect elements included in the second magnetoresistive unit are antiparallel to each other and are a direction along the second direction.