A soft magnetic sensor comprising a soft material containing randomly distributed magnetic microparticles and a magnetometer that can estimate force and localize contact over a continuous area. A reference magnetometer can be used to filter motion and ambient noise. Methods for locating contact and determining force comprise data analysis of the magnetometer output. In some embodiments, the sensor can localize an object prior to contact.

A magnetic sensor includes a substrate including a top surface, an insulating layer including an inclined surface, an MR element disposed on the inclined surface, a first insulating portion of an insulating material disposed on a part of the MR element, and a second insulating portion of an insulating material disposed on another part of the MR element at a position forward of the first insulating portion in a direction along the inclined surface, the direction being a direction away from the top surface of the substrate.

A magnetic sensor includes at least one sensor main body; a detection circuit provided on the at least one sensor main body, the detection circuit including a magnetic detection element; and a plurality of sensor terminals provided on the at least one sensor main body. The plurality of sensor terminals include a plurality of signal terminals and a plurality of power supply terminals. The plurality of signal terminals are all disposed on a side of one end of the at least one sensor main body. The plurality of power supply terminals include at least one first terminal disposed on the side of the one end of the at least one sensor main body, and a plurality of second terminals disposed on a side of another end of the at least one sensor main body.

A magnetic field detection apparatus includes first and second projections that are provided on a flat surface of a substrate and that each include first and second inclined surfaces. First and second MR films are provided on the first and second inclined surfaces, respectively. A first wiring line couples the first MR films provided on the respective first inclined surfaces of the first and second projections. A second wiring line couples the second MR films provided on the respective second inclined surfaces of the first and second projections. The first and second projections are adjacent in a first direction, with the first inclined surface of the first projection and the second inclined surface of the second projection opposed to each other in the first direction. One or more patterns are provided on the first inclined surface of the first projection, the second inclined surface of the second projection, or both.

A magnetic sensor includes an insulating layer, a first MR element, and a second MR element. The insulating layer includes a protruding surface including first and second inclined surfaces. Each of the first and second MR elements includes a magnetization pinned layer and a free layer. The magnetization pinned layer and the free layer of the first MR element are disposed on the first inclined surface. The magnetization pinned layer and the free layer of the second MR element are disposed on the second inclined surface. The dimension of the protruding surface in a direction parallel to the Z direction is in the range of 1.4 .Math.m to 3.0 .Math.m.

A magnetic sensor has a magnetoresistive strip including a plurality of magnetoresistive elements arranged in the y-direction through a plurality of hard magnetic members and ferromagnetic films arranged in the x-direction through a magnetic gap. The magnetoresistive strip is disposed around a magnetic gap. One end of the magnetoresistive strip in the y-direction is connected to a terminal electrode not through another magnetoresistive element applied with another magnetic field to be detected, and the other end thereof in the y-direction is connected to a terminal electrode not through another magnetoresistive element applied with the magnetic field to be detected. The magnetoresistive strip S thus has a linear shape not having a folded structure, so that the relation between the direction of a magnetic bias and the direction of flow of current becomes constant over all the sections of the magnetoresistive strip.

An exemplary embodiment of a sensor system includes a magnet system which is designed to generate a magnetic field. Furthermore, the sensor system includes a first magnetic field sensor which is movable in a first direction relative to the magnet system and has a first distance from the magnet system in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The sensor system also includes a second magnetic field sensor which is movable in the first direction relative to the magnet system and has a second distance from the magnet system in the second direction, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

Disclosed herein are detection devices, systems, and methods that use magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to allow molecules to be identified. Embodiments of this disclosure include magnetic sensors (e.g., magnetoresistive sensors) that can be used to detect temperature-dependent magnetic fields (or changes in magnetic fields) emitted by MNPs, and, specifically to distinguish between the presence and absence of magnetic fields emitted, or not emitted, by MNPs at different temperatures selected to take advantage of knowledge of how the MNPs' magnetic properties change with temperature. Embodiments disclosed herein may be used for nucleic acid sequencing, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing.

A system and method are provided for inspecting challenging material locations such as holes. The system may include a sensor cartridge (“mandrel”) for hole inspection that has a helical portion to which a sensor array is attached. The radius of the helical portion can be increased or decreased by applying a torque to the helical portion thereby allowing the sensor to be inserted into a hole or pressed against the wall of the hole. A scanner is described to which mandrels can be quickly connected and changed enabling an inspector to quickly switch between different mandrels (e.g., for different holes sizes and sensor configurations). Also disclosed is an inspection procedure and data processing algorithm for performing an inspection. The data processing algorithm utilizes a signature library for enhancing the detection or sizing of features of interest such as cracks. The algorithm and library can account for material edges, various material types.

A gain-controllable magnetoresistive analog amplifier comprises a substrate located in an X-Y plane, an output signal magnetoresistive sensor located on the substrate, and an input signal coil and a gain adjustment coil. The input signal coil and the gain adjustment coil are respectively located on two side surfaces of the output signal magnetoresistive sensor. The gain adjustment coil is used to input a gain signal by the generation of a gain magnetic field, in order to set the gain the magnetic field is applied along a magnetization direction of a free layer of the output signal magnetoresistive sensor, thereby adjusting the slope of the input resistance-magnetic field transfer curve of the output signal magnetoresistive sensor. The input signal coil is used for inputting a current signal to generate an input magnetic field, in order to apply the input magnetic field to a magnetization direction of a pinned layer of the output signal magnetoresistive sensor, thereby controlling the gain signal to adjust a gain factor of an output signal after the current signal passes through the output signal magnetoresistive sensor. This magnetoresistive analog amplifier provides isolation between input signals, output signals, and controllable gain signals.