Patent ID: 9389286
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: G01R

Claim Text:
1. A magnetic sensor configured to detect a component in a first direction of an external magnetic field, comprising a magnetoresistive element and a bias field generation unit, wherein the magnetoresistive element includes a magnetization pinned layer having a magnetization pinned in a direction parallel to the first direction, a free layer having a magnetization that varies depending on the component in the first direction of the external magnetic field, and a nonmagnetic layer interposed between the magnetization pinned layer and the free layer, the magnetization pinned layer, the nonmagnetic layer and the free layer are stacked to be adjacent in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the free layer receives an interlayer coupling magnetic field in the direction parallel to the first direction resulting from the magnetization pinned layer, the bias field generation unit applies a bias magnetic field to the free layer, and the bias magnetic field includes a first magnetic field component in a direction opposite to the direction of the interlayer coupling magnetic field and a second magnetic field component in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.