Patent ID: 8063633

Claim:
A magnetic field sensor structure comprising: a first magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a first reference layer structure with a first reference magnetization direction and with a first ferromagnetic layer structure antiferromagnetically coupled to the first reference layer structure, wherein a first layer thickness ratio DPL, 1 /DRL, 1 of a thickness DPL, 1 of the first ferromagnetic layer structure to a thickness DRL, 1 of the first reference layer structure is greater than 1, the first magnetoresistive element further comprising a third ferromagnetic layer structure and a first barrier layer structure, wherein the first barrier layer structure is arranged between the third ferromagnetic layer structure and the first reference layer, and wherein the first barrier layer is formed to magnetically decouple or to weakly couple the third ferromagnetic layer structure and the first reference layer structure; and a second magnetoresistive element in a spin-valve arrangement with a second reference layer structure with a second reference magnetization direction and with a second ferromagnetic layer structure antiferromagnetically coupled to the second reference layer structure, wherein a second layer thickness ratio DPL, 2 /DRL, 2 of a thickness DPL, 2 of the second ferromagnetic layer structure to a thickness DRL, 2 of the second reference layer structure is smaller than 1, the second magnetoresistive element further comprising a fourth ferromagnetic layer structure and a second barrier layer structure, wherein the second barrier layer structure is arranged between the fourth ferromagnetic layer structure and the second reference layer structure, and wherein the second barrier layer structure is formed to magnetically decouple or to weakly couple the fourth ferromagnetic layer structure and the second reference layer structure, wherein the first and second magnetoresistive elements are arranged in a layer stack vertically above each other and galvanically isolated from each other by an intermediate layer, and wherein the first and second reference magnetization directions are different.