A magnetoresistance effect element and a Heusler alloy in which a state change due to annealing does not easily occur. The element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer positioned between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, in which at least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer is a Heusler alloy in which a portion of elements of an alloy represented by Co.sub.2Fe.sub.αZ.sub.β is substituted with a substitution element, in which Z is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ga, Ge, and Sn, α and β satisfy 2.3≤α+β, α<β, and 0.5<α<1.9, and the substitution element is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of elements having a melting point higher than that of Fe among elements of Groups 4 to 10.

A Hall element that exhibits an anomalous Hall effect includes a substrate and a thin film as a magneto-sensitive layer on the substrate, the thin film having a composition of Fe.sub.xSn.sub.1-x, where 0.5≤x<0.9. The thin film may be made of an alloy of Fe and Sn, and a dopant element. The dopant element may be a transition metal element that modulates spin-orbit coupling or magnetism. The dopant element may be a main-group element that has a different number of valence electrons from Sn and modulates carrier density. The dopant element may be a main-group element that modulates density of states.

A magnetic sensor includes a base material, a plurality of magnets provided at predetermined spacing on the base material, and a plurality of magnetic detection parts respectively provided close to the plurality of magnets. Each of the plurality of magnetic detection parts outputs a signal in accordance with change in the magnetic field accompanying deformation of the base material.

A light detection element includes: a plurality of magnetic elements, wherein each of the magnetic elements includes a first ferromagnetic layer that is irradiated with light and a second ferromagnetic layer and a spacer layer sandwiched between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, and wherein at least two of the magnetic elements are arranged to be inside a spot of the light applied to the first ferromagnetic layers of the at least two of the magnetic elements.

A magnetoresistive Z-axis gradient sensor chip, which is used to detect the gradient in the XY plane of a Z-axis magnetic field component generated by a magnetic medium; the sensor chip comprises a Si substrate, a collection of two or two groups of flux guide devices separated a distance Lg and an arrangement of electrically interconnected magnetoresistive sensor units. The magnetoresistive sensor units are located on the Si substrate and located above or below the edge of the flux guide devices as well; the flux guide devices convert the component of the Z-axis magnetic field into the direction parallel to the surface of the Si substrate along the sensing axis direction of the magnetoresistive sensing units. The magnetoresistive sensor units are electrically interconnected into a half bridge or a full bridge gradiometer arrangement, wherein the opposite bridge arms are separated by distance Lg. This sensor chip can be utilized with a PCB or in combination with a PCB plus back-bias magnet with casing. The sensor measures the Z-axis magnetic field gradient by using magnetoresistive sensors with in-plane sensing axes. This sensor chip has several advantages relative to a Hall Effect sensor device, including smaller size, lower power consumption, and higher magnetic field sensitivity.

A signal processing method according to the present disclosure is for use in a signal processing system including a first magnetic detection unit, a second magnetic detection unit, and a processing unit. The signal processing method includes an angle calculating step and a failure diagnosis step. The angle calculating step includes transforming, by using an inverse trigonometric function, a sine signal, a cosine signal, and a tangent signal into a first angle signal, a second angle signal, and a third angle signal, respectively. The failure diagnosis step includes making a failure diagnosis of the first magnetic detection unit and the second magnetic detection unit by comparing with each other two or more pieces of angle information selected from first angle information, second angle information, and third angle information.

An improved system for measuring current within a power semiconductor module is disclosed, where the system is integrated within the power module. The system includes a point field detector sensing a magnetic field resulting from current flowing in one phase of the module. A lead frame conductor may be provided to shape the magnetic field and minimize the influence of cross-coupled magnetic fields from currents conducted in other power semiconductor devices within one phase of the module. Optionally, a second point field detector may be provided at a second location within the module to sense a magnetic field resulting from the current flowing in the same phase of the module. Each phase of the power module includes at least one point field detector. A decoupling circuit is provided to decouple multiple currents flowing within the same phase or to decouple currents flowing within different phases of the power module.

A magnetic sensor includes a sensor arrangement including a plurality of resistive elements electrically arranged in an asymmetrical bridge circuit, where the plurality of resistive elements include a plurality of magnetic field sensor elements and a plurality of non-magnetic sensitive resistive elements. Moreover, a first total resistance of a first pair of resistive elements is different from a second total resistance of a second pair of resistive elements. A first leg of the asymmetrical bridge circuit includes a first magnetic field sensor element and a first non-magnetic sensitive resistive element. A second leg of the asymmetrical bridge circuit includes a second magnetic field sensor element and a second non-magnetic sensitive resistive element. The asymmetrical bridge circuit is configured to generate a differential signal based on sensor signals generated by the plurality of magnetic field sensor elements in response to a magnetic field impinging thereon.

A magnetoresistance effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer; and a second non-magnetic layer, wherein, the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are formed so that at least one of them includes a Heusler alloy layer, the first non-magnetic layer is provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the second non-magnetic layer is in contact with any surface of the Heusler alloy layer and has a discontinuous portion with respect to a lamination surface, and the second non-magnetic layer is made of a material different from that of the first non-magnetic layer and is a (001)-oriented oxide containing Mg.

A magnetic sensor 1 includes a plurality of sensitive elements 31 made of a soft magnetic material. The sensitive elements 31 have a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and have a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. The sensitive elements 31 are configured to sense a magnetic field by a magnetic impedance effect. The sensitive elements 31 are arranged with a gap in between in the transverse direction. The magnetic sensor 1 includes a connecting portion 32 configured to connect longitudinal ends of transversely adjacent ones of the sensitive elements 31. The connecting portion 32 has a width in the transverse direction that narrows as the connecting portion 32 approaches the ones of the sensitive elements 31 along the longitudinal direction.