Equisensitive adjustment of planar Hall effect sensor’s operating field range by material and thickness variation of active layers

A novel technique of operating field range adjustment using varying thicknesses of spacer and capping layers is proposed for planar Hall effect (PHE) magnetic sensors. In terms of this technique, the spacer and capping layer thicknesses are varied interdependently, in a way that the variation of the operating magnetic field range is performed without a change of sensitivity. The relationship between the thicknesses of spacer and capping layers required for this 'equisensitive' variation of field range are calculated and experimentally approved. The active layer material substitution effect on the performance of PHE sensor is studied. The sensitivity, output voltage, operating field range, and shunt current are compared for PHE sensors, based on NiFe and NiFeMo active ferromagnetic layers. The NiFe/IrMn and NiFeMo/IrMn interface coupling energies are compared and the effect of IrMn crystallinity on their difference is discussed. The range of active layer thicknesses, at which the operating field range can be varied while maintaining the sensitivity at the same value, has been determined.