Patent ID: 7193286

Claim:
A ferromagnetic thin-film based array of directed magnetic field generating structures, said array structure comprising: a plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks each having a pair of ferromagnetic material layers separated by an intermediate layer of nonmagnetic material; a plurality of pairs of contact line structures each having as members a first contact line structure therein electrically connected to one of said pair of ferromagnetic material layers in a corresponding one of said plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks and a second contact line structure therein electrically connected to that remaining one of said pair of ferromagnetic material layers in that corresponding one of said plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks so that extension portions of said first and second contact line structures in each of said plurality of pairs of contact line structures, extending outside that pair of ferromagnetic material layers electrically contacted thereby, each extend away from that corresponding one of said plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks in a corresponding selected extension direction; an extended substantially parallel initial pair of electrical conductor branches positioned across an electrically insulative layer from one of said pair of ferromagnetic material layers in each of said plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks as electrically connected by a said corresponding pair of contact line structures, said initial pair of electrical conductor branches having pairs of adjacent coupling portions thereof such that each said pair of adjacent coupling portions is nearer a corresponding one of said plurality of toroidally shaped layer stacks than are other portions of said initial pair of electrical conductor branches with each said pair of adjacent coupling portions extending in directions perpendicular to an orientation direction through its corresponding said toroidally shaped layer stack that is positioned at a selected positioning angle with respect to a said extension direction associated with that one of said plurality of pairs of contact line structures electrically connected thereto, said initial pair of electrical conductor branches further having pairs of adjacent connecting portions thereof located between neighboring ones of said pairs of adjacent coupling portions thereof with said pairs of adjacent connecting portions extending in a direction differing from all of said directions in which those said pairs of adjacent coupling portions on either side thereof extend, said initial pair of electrical conductor branches being in direct electrical contact with one another to together form a first side electrical conductor.