A magnetic field generator includes a first planar substrate, a second planar substrate positioned opposite to the first planar substrate and separated from the first planar substrate by a gap, a first wiring set on the first planar substrate, a second wiring set on the second planar substrate, and one or more interconnects between the first planar substrate and the second planar substrate. The one or more interconnects electrically connect the first wiring set with the second wiring set to form a continuous electrical path. The continuous electrical path forms a conductive winding configured to generate, when supplied with a drive current, a first component of a compensation magnetic field configured to actively shield a magnetic field sensing region located in the gap from ambient background magnetic fields along a first axis that is substantially parallel to the first planar substrate and the second planar substrate.

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 sensor test system having excellent throughput is provided.

The sensor test system 1 includes a test apparatus group 20 including a plurality of sensor test apparatuses 30A to 30D coupled to each other so that the sensor 90 can be transferred, and each of the sensor test apparatuses 30A to 30D includes an application unit 40 including an application device 42 including a socket 445 to which the sensor 90 is electrically connected, and a pressure chamber 43 which applies a pressure to the sensor 90, a test unit 35 which tests the sensor 90 via the socket 445, and a conveying robot 33 which conveys the sensor 90 into and out of the application unit 40.

A SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) magnetic sensor includes: a piezoelectric thin film; a seed layer; an interdigital transducer arranged respectively on each side of the piezoelectric thin film, the interdigital transducer comprising an interdigital electrode made from magnetic materials, and reflector grids located at both ends of the interdigital electrode; an underlying substrate arranged at the seed layer opposite to the piezoelectric thin film. A manufacturing method for the sensor is also disclosed.

The disclosure relates to a method of determining the initialization state of a multi-turn sensor based on the sensor outputs. The method takes a reading of the sensor outputs, and then determines whether the sensor outputs are feasible based on an assumption that the sensor is initialised in one of two states. If the sensor outputs are correct, this initial assumption is taken to also be correct. However, if an incorrect sensor output is read, then it is taken that the assumed initialization state is incorrect. The sensor is therefore taken to be initialised in the alternative state. The method will then determine whether the sensor outputs are feasible based on this second assumption, and if an incorrect sensor output is still being read, then there is a fault in the multi-turn sensor.

A magnetoresistive sensor with a compensating coil comprising a silicon substrate, collection of MR sensor units disposed on the silicon substrate, collection of rectangular soft ferromagnetic flux concentrators, serpentine compensating coil, connecting circuit, and collection of bond pads used for electrical connections. The MR sensor units are interconnected to form a push-pull sensor bridge. The MR sensor units are disposed below the gap between two adjacent soft ferromagnetic flux concentrators. The serpentine compensating coil has a positive current strap over the MR sensor units and a negative current strap under the soft ferromagnetic flux concentrators. The MR sensor bridge and the serpentine compensating coil are connected through bond pads and covered with an encapsulation structure. The magnetoresistive sensor also comprises a spiral initialization coil placed on a substrate within the encapsulating structure. A sensor chip is disposed on the initialization coil, which is used for reducing magnetic hysteresis.

A magnetic field sensor element with a piezo electric substrate having predetermined shear wave velocity V.sub.S, two pairs of interdigital electrodes, arranged on the substrate on the ends of a delay section, having a period length p of at least 10 micrometers, a non-magnetic, electrically non-conductive guide layer arranged on the substrate along the delay section, and a magnetostrictive functional layer arranged on the guide layer, wherein the shear wave velocity in the guide layer is smaller than V.sub.S, wherein a) the substrate is oriented to generate and propagate mechanical shear waves upon applying a temporally periodic, electrical voltage to at least one interdigital electrode pair in the range of frequency V.sub.S/p and, wherein b) the thickness of the guide layer equals at least 10% and at at most 30% of the period length p of the interdigital electrodes.

Embodiments relate to magnetoresistive (xMR) sensors. In an embodiment, an xMR stack structure is configured to form two different xMR elements that can be coupled to form a locally differential Wheatstone bridge. The result is a highly sensitive magnetic sensor with small dimensions and robustness against thermal drift and sensor/encoder pitch mismatch that can be produced using standard processing equipment. Embodiments also relate to methods of forming and patterning the stack structure and sensors that provide information regarding direction in addition to speed.

Magnetic sensors are disclosed, as well as methods for fabricating and using the same. In some embodiments, an EMR effect sensor includes a semiconductor layer. In some embodiments, the EMR effect sensor may include a conductive layer substantially coupled to the semiconductor layer. In some embodiments, the EMR effect sensor may include a voltage lead coupled to the conductive layer. In some embodiments, the voltage lead may be configured to provide a voltage for measurement by a voltage measurement circuit. In some embodiments, the EMR effect sensor may include a second voltage lead coupled to the semiconductor layer. In some embodiments, the second voltage lead may be configured to provide a voltage for measurement by a voltage measurement circuit. Embodiments of a Hall effect sensor having the same or similar structure are also disclosed.

A three-axis magnetic sensor which is not physically separated from each other and made of one element is provided. A spin-orbit torque is generated through an interface junction between a magnetization seed layer and a magnetization free layer, and through this, a change in an in-plane magnetic field may be sensed in the form of current or voltage in the magnetization seed layer. Further, a tunneling insulating layer and a magnetization pinned layer are formed on the magnetization free layer. The formed structure induces a tunnel magneto-resistance phenomenon. Through this, a change in a magnetic field in a vertical direction is sensed.