Patent ID: 7815369
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: G01K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of measuring temperature of a tunnel magnetoresistive effect element comprising the steps of: obtaining in advance a temperature coefficient of element resistance of a discrete tunnel magnetoresistive effect element that is not mounted on an apparatus, by measuring temperature versus element resistance value characteristic of said discrete tunnel magnetoresistive effect element in a state that a breakdown voltage is intentionally applied to said discrete tunnel magnetoresistive effect element and a tunnel barrier layer of said discrete tunnel magnetoresistive effect element is brought into a stable conductive state; bringing a tunnel barrier layer of a tunnel magnetoresistive effect element actually mounted on the apparatus into a stable conductive state by intentionally applying the breakdown voltage to the mounted tunnel magnetoresistive effect element having the same structure as that of said discrete tunnel magnetoresistive effect element whose temperature coefficient has been measured; measuring an element resistance value of said mounted tunnel magnetoresistive effect element with said tunnel barrier layer that has been brought into a stable conductive state; and obtaining a temperature corresponding to the measured element resistance value from the previously measured temperature coefficient of element resistance.