Patent ID: 7176679

Claim:
Sensor comprising magnets and a bridge of magnetoresistors ( 1 – 4 ), said magnets and magnetoresistors being deposited in the form of layers on a same substrate ( 20 ), the magnetoresistors ( 1 – 4 ) each having a longitudinal direction, the bridge comprising two magnetoresistors ( 1 , 3 ) or a first ( 1 , 4 ) and a second ( 2 , 3 ) pair of magnetoresistors, each magnetoresistor ( 1 – 4 ) being polarised by one or more magnets ( 15 – 19 ; 26 – 29 ; 38 , 39 ), each magnet generating a magnetic field having two main magnetisation field zones, one incoming field zone and one outgoing field zone, aligned along a main magnetisation direction, and two magnetic leakage field zones, the first (1) of the two magnetoresistors ( 1 , 3 ) of the bridge or each of the magnetoresistors ( 1 , 4 ) of the first pair of magnetoresistors of the bridge being arranged in a main magnetisation field zone and the other magnetoresistor ( 3 ) or each of the magnetoresistors of the second pair ( 2 , 3 ) of magnetoresistors of the bridge being arranged in a magnetic leakage field zone so that the two magnetoresistors ( 1 , 3 ) or the magnetoresistors ( 1 , 4 ; 2 , 3 ) of each pair are polarised by magnetic fields of opposite directions, said magnets ( 15 – 19 ; 26 – 29 ; 38 , 39 ) being substantially at the same height over the substrate as the magnetoresistors ( 1 – 4 ), wherein all the magnets ( 15 – 19 ; 26 – 29 ; 38 , 39 ) have the same main magnetisation direction contained in the plane of the layers and the magnetoresistors ( 1 – 4 ) of the bridge have their longitudinal direction parallel with said main magnetisation direction.