Abstract: A sensor and fabrication process are provided for forming reference layers with substantially orthogonal magnetization directions having zero offset with a small compensation angle. An exemplary embodiment includes a sensor layer stack of a magnetoresistive thin-film based magnetic field sensor, the sensor layer stack comprising a pinning layer; a pinned layer including a layer of amorphous material over the pinning layer, and a first layer of crystalline material over the layer of amorphous material; a nonmagnetic coupling layer over the pinned layer; a fixed layer over the nonmagnetic coupling layer; a tunnel barrier over the fixed layer; and a sense layer over the nonmagnetic intermediate layer. Another embodiment includes a sensor layer stack where a pinned layer including two crystalline layers separated by a amorphous layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor process integrates three bridge circuits, each include magnetoresistive sensors coupled as a Wheatstone bridge on a single chip to sense a magnetic field in three orthogonal directions. The process includes various deposition and etch steps forming the magnetoresistive sensors and a plurality of flux guides on one of the three bridge circuits for transferring a “Z” axis magnetic field onto sensors orientated in the XY plane.

Abstract: A method of sensing a magnetic field including at least one magnetoresistive sensing element (100) in a circuit (101) includes supplying (702) a first plurality of currents to a stabilization line (116) disposed adjacent the magnetoresistive sensing element (100), applying (704) a second plurality of currents to a self test line (120) disposed adjacent the magnetic tunnel junction (100), one each of the first plurality of currents being supplied during one each of the second plurality of currents. Values sensed by the magnetic tunnel junction sensing element (100) in response to the supplying (702) of the first plurality of currents and the applying (704) of the second plurality of currents are sampled (706) and the sensitivity of the magnetic tunnel junction sensor (100) and electrical and magnetic offset are determined (708) from the sampled values. The temperature coefficient of offset may also be determined.

Abstract: A method of mounting a first integrated circuit (102, 500, 704) on one of a circuit board (300, 700) or a second integrated circuit (706), the first integrated circuit (102, 500, 704) formed over a substrate (104) and having a surface (119) opposed to the substrate (104) and a side (122, 530, 930) substantially orthogonal to the surface (119), and including a conductive element (116, 117, 118, 522, 524, 526, 528, 528?, 528?) coupled to circuitry (102, 500, 704) and formed within a dielectric material (120, 518), the one of the circuit board (300, 700) or the second integrated circuit (706) including a contact point (304, 306, 314), the method including singulating (1104) the first integrated circuit (102, 500, 704) to expose the conductive element (116, 117, 118, 522, 524, 526, 528, 528?, 528?) on the side (222, 630, 1030), and mounting (1108) the first integrated circuit (102, 500, 704) on the one of a circuit board (300, 700) or a second integrated circuit (706) by aligning the conductive element (116, 117,

Abstract: Three bridge circuits (101, 111, 121), each include magnetoresistive sensors coupled as a Wheatstone bridge (100) to sense a magnetic field (160) in three orthogonal directions (110, 120, 130) that are set with a single pinning material deposition and bulk wafer setting procedure. One of the three bridge circuits (121) includes a first magnetoresistive sensor (141) comprising a first sensing element (122) disposed on a pinned layer (126), the first sensing element (122) having first and second edges and first and second sides, and a first flux guide (132) disposed non-parallel to the first side of the substrate and having an end that is proximate to the first edge and on the first side of the first sensing element (122). An optional second flux guide (136) may be disposed non-parallel to the first side of the substrate and having an end that is proximate to the second edge and the second side of the first sensing element (122).