Abstract: An angle switch device includes at least one MR element with a pinned layer and a free layer, and a magnet section. A relative angle between the magnet section and a lamination plane of the at least one MR element in a plane that contains a fixed magnetization direction of the at least one MR element and is perpendicular to the lamination plane of the at least one MR element is variable. The angle switch device provides a signal that represents whether the relative angle between the magnet section and the lamination plane of the at least one MR element is larger than or smaller than 90 degrees.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a housing member, a spring member attached to the housing member, a magnetic field generation member fixed to the housing member, and at least one magnetic field detection sensor and a weight member, fixed to the spring member so that the at least one magnetic field detection sensor faces the magnetic field generation member. The spring member has freedom in at least one direction of acceleration to be detected. The at least one magnetic field detection sensor is provided with at least one multi-layered MR element including a magnetization fixed layer and a magnetization free layer. A magnetic field is applied to the at least one multi-layered MR element from the magnetic field generation member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a lamination plane of the at least one multi-layered MR element when no acceleration is applied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a current sensor capable of adjusting an offset value at a zero magnetic field more easily and detecting a current magnetic field generated by a current to be detected with high sensitivity and high precision. The current sensor has: first and second magnetoresistive elements disposed along a conductor so that resistance values change in directions opposite to each other in accordance with a current magnetic field generated by a current to be detected flowing in the conductor; and first and second constant current sources that supply constant currents equal to each other to the first and second magnetoresistive elements, respectively. The current sensor further includes a differential amplifier that detects the difference between voltage drops occurring in the first and second magnetoresistive elements by the constant current. The current to be detected is detected on the basis of the difference between the voltage drops.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a housing member, a spring member attached to the housing member and provided with freedom in at least one direction of acceleration to be detected, a magnetic field generation member with weight fixed to the spring member, and at least one magnetic field detection sensor attached to the housing member to face the magnetic field generation member with weight. Each magnetic field detection sensor is provided with at least one pair of multi-layered MR elements each including a magnetization fixed layer and a magnetization free layer. A magnetized direction of the magnetization fixed layers is fixed to a direction parallel to the direction of acceleration to be detected. The magnetic field generation member with weight includes at least one permanent magnet that provides a closed magnetic loop.

Abstract: A ferrite substrate for thin-film inductors is provided by means of blending raw materials to meet a composition of di-iron trioxide (Fe2O3): 40 to 55 mol %, nickel oxide (NiO): 5 to 35 mol %, zinc oxide (ZnO): 10 to 40 mol %, and bismuth trioxide (Bi2O3): 150 to 750 ppm, or of Fe2O3: 40 to 55 mol %, NiO: 5 to 35 mol %, ZnO: 10 to 40 mol %, cupric oxide (CuO): 5 to 10 mol %, and manganese dioxide (MnO2): 0.5 to 2 mol %, and then molding and sintering the blended material, and applying hot isostatic pressing to the sintered article. A thin-film common mode filter and a thin-film common mode filter array using the ferrite substrate and the manufacturing method of the substrate are also provided.

Abstract: First and second MR elements are provided with a plurality of element patterns each having a stacked structure. The stacked structure includes a free layer changing its magnetization direction depending on an external magnetic field, an intermediate layer generating no specific magnetization direction, and a pinned layer having magnetization pinned in a certain direction. The first and the second MR elements have a rotationally symmetrical relationship with each other around a central axis parallel to the directions of anisotropic magnetic fields of the free layer. In the initial condition, the resistance of the first MR element and the resistance of the second MR element are equal to each other. The resistances of the first and the second MR elements exhibit changes in opposite directions in accordance with a magnetic field to be detected. This provides a magnetic sensor permitting higher-precision detection of the magnetic field to be detected.

Abstract: A thin film device includes a thin film element disposed on a surface of a substrate for high voltage formed of a material having an electric resistivity in the range of 108 ?·cm to 1010 ?·cm, with an adhesive layer in between. The substrate for high voltage is a sintered body containing Al2O3, TiC, and MgO in a predetermined weight ratio. Therefore, if electric charges are generated in the thin film element, the electric charges are, while they are not accumulated in large amounts, gradually shifted via the adhesive layer to the substrate for high voltage, so that the generation of ESD can be suppressed. On the other hand, even when mounted on a lead frame, a sufficient dielectric breakdown voltage can be ensured. This provides a thin film device that is less susceptible to damage due to ESD, and has superior withstand voltage characteristic to permit a stable operation.

Abstract: A invention provides a method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic head is provided, capable of forming a magnetic pole layer as easily as possible. By etching a lower insulating layer and the upper insulating layer by RIE using a fluorine-based gas (CF4 or CHF3) or chlorine-based gas (Cl2 or BCl3), a magnetic pole formation space R1 is formed so as to have a uniform width in an upper insulating layer by and a magnetic pole formation space R2 is formed in the lower insulating layer so as to have a width gradually narrowed from width W1 to width W4 with distance from the magnetic pole formation space R1. After that, a plating film is grown in the magnetic pole formation spaces R1 and R2, thereby forming a main magnetic pole layer.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor has a needle-shaped detecting part. The needle-shaped detecting part includes a substrate cut to have a needle shape, at least one MR element formed on the substrate, at least two lead conductors formed on the substrate, one end of the conductor being electrically connected to at least one MR element, and a protection film covering the at least one MR element and the at least two lead conductors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for bonding a first thin plate having a first adhesion surface and a first back surface and a second thin plate having a second adhesion surface and a second back surface by an adhesive, the adhesive being sandwiched between said first adhesion surface and said second adhesion surface.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes at least one permanent magnet, a spring member for supporting the at least one permanent magnet to displace the at least one permanent magnet when an external force is applied, and a magnetic field detection sensor mounted in stationary state to face the at least one permanent magnet. The magnetic field detection sensor has at least one multi-layered MR element that includes a magnetization fixed layer and a magnetization free layer. The magnetization fixed layer is magnetized in a direction parallel to a displacement detection direction. Each permanent magnet has a multi-layered structure of hard magnetic material layers and nonmagnetic material layers alternately laminated each other in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the magnetic field detection sensor and to the magnetized direction of the magnetization fixed layer.

Abstract: A current sensor capable of detecting current magnetic fields generated by a current to be detected with high precision and stability while realizing a compact configuration is provided. The current sensor includes: a conductor generating a current magnetic field in accordance with supplied current to be detected; a magnetoresistive element including a free layer having a magnetization direction that varies in accordance with the current magnetic field, a pinned layer having the magnetization direction that is pinned to a direction orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a bias applying means for applying, to the magnetoresistive element, a bias magnetic field along a direction same with the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a pair of permanent magnets, each having a surface facing a magnetic field detection sensor, arranged in parallel so that the surfaces of the pair of permanent magnets have different magnetic polarities with each other, a spring member for supporting the pair of permanent magnets to displace the pair of permanent magnets when an external force is applied, and a magnetic field detection sensor mounted in stationary state to face the pair of permanent magnets. The magnetic field detection sensor has at least one pair of multi-layered MR elements, each including a magnetization fixed layer and a magnetization free layer, the magnetization fixed layer being magnetized in a direction parallel to a displacement detection direction. The pair of permanent magnets are arranged so that a longitudinal direction of each permanent magnet is in parallel with the magnetized direction of the magnetization fixed layer.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a housing member, first and second magnetic field generation members with weights, a spring member with a fulcrum attached to the housing member, and first and second magnetic field detection sensors attached to the housing member to face the first and second magnetic field generation members with weights, respectively. The first and second magnetic field detection sensors have two pairs of multi-layered magnetoresistive effect elements. A magnetization fixed layer is magnetically fixed along a direction parallel to a direction of displacement of the first and second magnetic field generation members with weights.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic sensing device capable of stably sensing a signal magnetic field with high sensitivity by suppressing occurrence of a hysteresis to reduce 1/f noise. A magnetic sensing device has a stacked body including a pinned layer having a magnetization direction pinned to a predetermined direction (Y direction), a free layer having a magnetization direction which changes according to an external magnetic field and, when the external magnetic field is zero, becomes parallel to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the pinned layer and the free layer. Consequently, as compared with the case where the pinned layer and the free layer have magnetization directions which are orthogonal to each other when the external magnetic field is zero, variations in the spin directions of magnetic domains in the free layer can be reduced.

Abstract: Provided is a thin-film piezoelectric element which reduces the influence of an oxide film left on the electrode film on the degradation of element characteristics, and a method of making the thin-film piezoelectric element. The thin-film piezoelectric element has ZrO2 as the main component of the outermost layer of the oxide film which covers the laminate. Young's modulus of the ZrO2 is 190 GPa, giving a significantly low value compared with Young's modulus of MgO, 245 GPa. Consequently, the influence of the oxide film on the reduction in the displacement magnitude of the piezoelectric film is smaller than the influence of the MgO thin film left in the conventional thin-film piezoelectric element. As a result, the thin-film piezoelectric element decreases the influence of the oxide film on the degradation of element characteristics compared with the conventional thin-film piezoelectric element.

Abstract: A spring member used in an acceleration sensor, for supporting weight members that cooperate as magnetic field generation members or magnetic field detection sensors includes at least one strip-shaped plate spring with a fulcrum and support sections separated from the fulcrum for supporting the weight members. The at least one strip-shaped plate spring is configured to produce a bending stress in response to an external force applied so as to displace the weight members.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a housing member, a spring member attached to the housing member, the spring member having freedom in at least one direction of acceleration to be detected, a weight and magnetic field generation member fixed to the spring member, and at least one magnetic field detection sensor attached to the housing member to face the weight and magnetic field generation member. The at least one magnetic field detection sensor is provided with at least one multi-layered MR element including a magnetization fixed layer and a magnetization free layer. A direction of magnetic field applied to the at least one multi-layered MR element from the weight and magnetic field generation member is perpendicular to a lamination plane of the at least one multi-layered MR element when no acceleration is applied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conveying mechanism capable of accurately detecting a conveyance amount of an object to be conveyed with a simple configuration. A magnetic sensor is fixed to a casing along a locus of a contact point between a sheet and a conveying roller on the basis of a play between the conveying roller and an opening. With the configuration, the contact point and the magnetic sensor are disposed relatively close to each other. Consequently, the pure conveyance amount according to the rotation amount of a magnetic recording medium using the contact point as a reference can be detected by the magnetic sensor. Moreover, the movement amount of the contact point relative to the center axis of the opening as a reference position in association with the play can be also detected with high sensitivity. Thus, the conveyance amount of the sheet can be accurately obtained.

Abstract: A current sensor includes a conductor line, and a magnetic sensor in which resistance value changes according to a current magnetic field produced by a current to be detected flowing through the conductor line. The conductor line includes: a pair of parallel portions each having a same and uniform cross-sectional area, while extending in parallel with each other separated at a first distance therebetween; a connecting portion connecting one end of one of the parallel portions and one end of the other of the parallel portions; and a pair of terminal portions each connected to the other end of each of the parallel portions, while extending to face with each other separated at a second distance therebetween, the second distance being wider than the first distance, the terminal portions each having a larger cross-sectional area than that of each of the parallel portions.