Patent ID: 8518734

Claim:
A method of integrating a magneto-resistive field sensor element having a film plane with an in-plane field sensitivity and out-of-plane flux guides configured to respond to magnetic field components perpendicular to the film plane, comprising: etching a first and a second plurality of trenches within a first dielectric layer, each trench of the first and second plurality of trenches having a bottom and a side; depositing a first material on the sides of each of at least the first plurality of trenches, the first material having a high magnetic permeability; depositing a second material in the first plurality of trenches and a third material within the second plurality of trenches, the third material being electrically conductive; depositing a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and the first and second plurality of trenches; forming a first plurality of conductive vias through the second dielectric layer to the third material in a first portion of the second trenches; forming a first plurality of magneto-resistive field sensor elements upon the second dielectric layer positioned adjacent to the sides of the first plurality of trenches, one each of the first plurality of magneto-resistive field sensor elements electrically coupled to one of the second plurality of vias; depositing a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer and the first plurality of magneto-resistive field sensor elements; forming a second plurality of conductive vias through the third dielectric layer to the magneto-resistive field sensor elements; forming a plurality of conductive lines upon the third dielectric layer, one each of the plurality of conductive lines electrically coupled to one of the second plurality of conductive vias; forming a third plurality of conductive vias through the second and third dielectric layers to the third material in one of the second plurality of trenches; and forming a stabilization layer over the first portion of the plurality of second trenches.