A method for producing an MI element includes: an insulation step of forming an insulator layer on an outer periphery of an amorphous wire; an electroless plating step of forming an electroless plating layer on an outer peripheral surface of the insulator layer; an electrolytic plating step of forming an electrolytic plating layer on an outer peripheral surface of the electroless plating layer; a resist step of forming a resist layer on an outer peripheral surface of the electrolytic plating layer; an exposure step of exposing the resist layer with a laser to form a spiral groove strip on an outer peripheral surface of the resist layer; an etching step of performing etching using the resist layer as a masking material and removing the electroless plating layer and the electrolytic plating layer in the groove strip to form a coil with the remaining electroless plating layer and electrolytic plating layer.

A sensor assembly includes a first magnetic field sensor that is a first type of sensor and has a first magnetic field sensitivity in a first primary sensing direction. The first primary sensing direction is along a longitudinal axis of the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly further includes a second magnetic field sensor that is a second type of sensor different than the first type of sensor and has a second magnetic field sensitivity in a second primary sensing direction that is less than the first magnetic field sensitivity. The second primary sensing direction is along a second axis that is different than the longitudinal axis.

A magnetic nanocomposite device is described herein for a wide range of sensing applications. The device utilizes the permanent magnetic behavior of the nanowires to allow operation without the application of an additional magnetic field to magnetize the nanowires, which simplifies miniaturization and integration into microsystems. In addition, the nanocomposite benefits from the high elasticity and easy patterning of the polymer-based material, leading to a corrosion-resistant, flexible material that can be used to realize extreme sensitivity. In combination with magnetic sensor elements patterned underneath the nanocomposite, the nanocomposite device realizes highly sensitive and power efficient flexible artificial cilia sensors for flow measurement or tactile sensing.

Devices and methods for measuring the strength of a magnetic field are provided herein. A method as described herein may comprise providing a microwire and a coil, applying a magnetic field to the microwire such that the microwire has an initial magnetization, applying a drive current to the microwire, thereby inducing a coil current in the coil, determining the strength of the magnetic field based on the coil current through a low impedance shunt.

A magnetic sensor comprises a magnetic material portion; an excitation portion; and a magnetic detection portion, the magnetic sensor detecting a magnetic field by the magnetic detection portion detecting a detection magnetic field generated due to magnetic moments of the magnetic material portion. The excitation portion is configured to include a conductive material formed into an elongated shape, the magnetic material portion is a soft magnetic film formed on a surface of the conductive material, and the magnetic moments of the magnetic material portion are oriented along circumferential directions of the conductive material orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the conductive material such that the magnetic moments directed to one of the circumferential directions and the magnetic moments direction in another circumferential direction opposite to the one circumferential direction are distributed in substantially equal amounts.

A magnetic sensor includes a magneto-sensitive body whose electromagnetic properties change under an action of an external magnetic field, a coil disposed to obtain an induced voltage proportional to the external magnetic field, a sampler configured to sample the induced voltage generated in the coil and obtains a sampling voltage, and an automatic correction circuit configured to relatively adjust a rise timing of a magneto-sensitive body clock for driving the magneto-sensitive body and a rise timing of a sampler clock for driving the sampler according to the sampling voltage.

A tape format magnetoelastic resonator device comprises a continuous ribbon of amorphous magnetic material having a plurality of separate, hinged magnetoelastic resonator strips formed from the ribbon, linearly displaced along a longitudinal axis of the ribbon, wherein each magnetoelastic resonator strip is configured to couple to an external magnetic field at a particular frequency and convert the magnetic energy into mechanical energy, in the form of oscillations.

A current measurement circuit for determining a start time t.sub.START, an end time t.sub.END, and/or a peak time t.sub.MAX for a current pulse passing through a current conductor. The current measurement circuit comprises a pickup coil and a threshold crossing detector. The pickup coil generates a voltage V.sub.SENSE proportional to a magnetic field around the conductor, which is proportional to a change in current over time. The threshold crossing detector compares V.sub.SENSE and a threshold voltage and generates an output signal indicative of a transition time and whether a slope of V.sub.SENSE is positive or negative. The current measurement circuit can also comprise an integrator and a sample and hold circuit. The integrator integrates V.sub.SENSE over time and generates an integrated signal V.sub.SENSE. The sample and hold circuit compares V.sub.SENSE to t.sub.MAX and generates a second output signal which can be used to measure the pulse current.

A magnetic sensor comprising: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); an insulating protective film formed on a surface of the ASIC; a substrate film formed on the insulating protective film; and a magnetic field detection element formed on the substrate film, the magnetic field detection element including two magnetic wires on the substrate film, a detection coil surrounding the two magnetic wires, two electrodes coupled to the two magnetic wires for wire energization, and two electrodes coupled to the coil for coil voltage detection.

A magnetic field detection sensor includes a magneto-impedance element and detects an external magnetic field from an output obtained by applying alternating current to the magneto-impedance element using a magneto-impedance effect. The magneto-impedance element includes a non-magnetic board and a magnetic film formed on a surface of the non-magnetic board, a longitudinal direction of the magnetic film is set as a detection direction of the external magnetic field, and magnetic anisotropy is provided such that a magnetization easy axis of the magnetic film is the same as the detection direction of the external magnetic field. The magnetic field detection sensor further includes a magnetic field generating portion which generates a magnetic field in a thickness direction of the magnetic film.