Patent ID: 9719804
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: G01D,G01R

Claim:
1. An apparatus comprising: a magneto-resistive element comprising a stack of layers including at least a conductive layer in between two magnetic layers which layers have a longitudinal extension along a longitudinal axis and a lateral extension along a transverse axis; a magnet comprising a magnetic dipole with a dipole axis orthogonal to a plane defined by the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis wherein a height of the magnet is selected to be greater than a span of the magnet along the longitudinal axis; at least one stopper configured to limit travel of the magnet to a selected sensing range along the longitudinal axis; wherein an electrical resistance of the magneto-resistive element depends on a position of the magnet along the longitudinal axis; and wherein at least some portion of the magneto-resistive element experiences anti-parallel magnetization from the magnet over the entire selected sensing range.