Hall Effect against Shunt Sensing on the High Side
High-side shunts deliver superior low-current accuracy under high temperatures, while integrated Hall sensors reduce high-current thermal power loss.
Tunnel Magnetoresistance
Quantum Tunneling
Quantum mechanical phenomena describe the spin-dependent tunneling of electrons through thin insulating barrier layers separating two ferromagnetic conducting electrodes. In advanced magnetic field sensors, tunnel magnetoresistance produces large electrical resistance changes in response to external magnetic field variations. Spin-polarized electron currents tunnel through thin insulating oxide barriers with higher probability when magnetic moments in adjacent ferromagnetic layers align parallel rather than antiparallel.
High resistance signal changes enable low-power magnetic field sensing in automotive speed sensors and current monitoring ICs. Sensor structures achieve high signal-to-noise ratios compared to older anisotropic magnetoresistive technologies.
Magnetic Junction
Magnetic tunnel junctions consist of a fixed synthetic antiferromagnet reference layer, a nanometer-thin magnesium oxide barrier and a free ferromagnetic sensing layer. Operating via tunnel magnetoresistance, these micro-structures alter junction resistance by over one hundred percent under modest external magnetic field rotations. Angular field alignment between pinned and free layers determines output voltage across Wheatstone bridge configurations.
Sensitivity Factor
High magnetic field sensitivity enables fine resolution position and angle encoding in compact sensor packages.
Sensor Integration
On-chip integration pairs magnetic junction arrays directly with CMOS signal conditioning electronics on single silicon dies. Sensor designs using tunnel magnetoresistance deliver high field sensitivity while maintaining low power consumption in battery-operated field instruments.