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GMR and TMR Sensors

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2017) | Viewed by 32536

Special Issue Editor

INESC-Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC-MN), 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Magnetoresistive (MR) sensors are widely disseminated in society, with regular reports and publications on the field, covering, not only fundamental studies on spintronics and thin films, but also addressing the smart integration in novel IoT architectures. MR Sensors are produced in large scale, using Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) and Tunnel Magnetoresistive (TMR) technologies. Nevertheless, there are many challenging situations where MR sensors are operating near their limits, which motivate a continuous search for improved magnetic materials and novel device architectures.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the discussion of the state-of-the-art on GMR and TMR materials and sensors, and challenging applications. Papers should address the wide range of options offered by GMR and TMR sensors, including: Advances on magnetoresistive thin films, advanced characterization of thin films and devices, strategies for noise reduction, applications in surface mapping (magnetic scanners, non-destructive testing of non-conventional surfaces), integration with flexible electronics, information storage (tape and disk heads for high density information), position sensors (linear and rotary), smart packaging (3D integration, through-silicon-vias), and application with hybrid devices (e.g., combining MR with optical, microfluidics, MEMS, molecular, energy harvesting modules)

Both review articles and original research papers are solicited. This Special Issue will highly benefit from papers describing successful MR sensor applications that have not been possible with other magnetic sensors.

Prof. Dr. Susana Cardoso de Freitas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Tunnel Magnetoresistive (TMR) sensors
  • Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors
  • Advanced magnetic thin films
  • Noise in MR sensors
  • Magnetic nanoparticle detection in biochips
  • Non-destructive testing
  • Flexible electronics
  • CMOS integration
  • Biomedical applications

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 2769 KiB  
Article
Hybrid GMR Sensor Detecting 950 pT/sqrt(Hz) at 1 Hz and Room Temperature
by André Guedes, Rita Macedo, Gerardo Jaramillo, Susana Cardoso, Paulo P. Freitas and David A. Horsley
Sensors 2018, 18(3), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030790 - 06 Mar 2018
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6844
Abstract
Advances in the magnetic sensing technology have been driven by the increasing demand for the capability of measuring ultrasensitive magnetic fields. Among other emerging applications, the detection of magnetic fields in the picotesla range is crucial for biomedical applications. In this work Picosense [...] Read more.
Advances in the magnetic sensing technology have been driven by the increasing demand for the capability of measuring ultrasensitive magnetic fields. Among other emerging applications, the detection of magnetic fields in the picotesla range is crucial for biomedical applications. In this work Picosense reports a millimeter-scale, low-power hybrid magnetoresistive-piezoelectric magnetometer with subnanotesla sensitivity at low frequency. Through an innovative noise-cancelation mechanism, the 1/f noise in the MR sensors is surpassed by the mechanical modulation of the external magnetic fields in the high frequency regime. A modulation efficiency of 13% was obtained enabling a final device’s sensitivity of ~950 pT/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz. This hybrid device proved to be capable of measuring biomagnetic signals generated in the heart in an unshielded environment. This result paves the way for the development of a portable, contactless, low-cost and low-power magnetocardiography device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GMR and TMR Sensors)
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10338 KiB  
Article
A Wideband Magnetoresistive Sensor for Monitoring Dynamic Fault Slip in Laboratory Fault Friction Experiments
by Brian D. Kilgore
Sensors 2017, 17(12), 2790; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17122790 - 02 Dec 2017
Viewed by 5888
Abstract
A non-contact, wideband method of sensing dynamic fault slip in laboratory geophysical experiments employs an inexpensive magnetoresistive sensor, a small neodymium rare earth magnet, and user built application-specific wideband signal conditioning. The magnetoresistive sensor generates a voltage proportional to the changing angles of [...] Read more.
A non-contact, wideband method of sensing dynamic fault slip in laboratory geophysical experiments employs an inexpensive magnetoresistive sensor, a small neodymium rare earth magnet, and user built application-specific wideband signal conditioning. The magnetoresistive sensor generates a voltage proportional to the changing angles of magnetic flux lines, generated by differential motion or rotation of the near-by magnet, through the sensor. The performance of an array of these sensors compares favorably to other conventional position sensing methods employed at multiple locations along a 2 m long × 0.4 m deep laboratory strike-slip fault. For these magnetoresistive sensors, the lack of resonance signals commonly encountered with cantilever-type position sensor mounting, the wide band response (DC to ≈ 100 kHz) that exceeds the capabilities of many traditional position sensors, and the small space required on the sample, make them attractive options for capturing high speed fault slip measurements in these laboratory experiments. An unanticipated observation of this study is the apparent sensitivity of this sensor to high frequency electomagnetic signals associated with fault rupture and (or) rupture propagation, which may offer new insights into the physics of earthquake faulting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GMR and TMR Sensors)
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2338 KiB  
Article
Effect of MgO Underlying Layer on the Growth of GaOx Tunnel Barrier in Epitaxial Fe/GaOx/(MgO)/Fe Magnetic Tunnel Junction Structure
by Sai Krishna Narayananellore, Naoki Doko, Norihiro Matsuo, Hidekazu Saito and Shinji Yuasa
Sensors 2017, 17(10), 2424; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17102424 - 23 Oct 2017
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4214
Abstract
We investigated the effect of a thin MgO underlying layer (~3 monoatomic layers) on the growth of GaOx tunnel barrier in Fe/GaOx/(MgO)/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions. To obtain a single-crystalline barrier, an in situ annealing was conducted with the temperature being [...] Read more.
We investigated the effect of a thin MgO underlying layer (~3 monoatomic layers) on the growth of GaOx tunnel barrier in Fe/GaOx/(MgO)/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions. To obtain a single-crystalline barrier, an in situ annealing was conducted with the temperature being raised up to 500 °C under an O2 atmosphere. This annealing was performed after the deposition of the GaOx on the Fe(001) bottom electrode with or without the MgO(001) underlying layer. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns after the annealing indicated the formation of a single-crystalline layer regardless of with or without the MgO layer. Ex situ structural studies such as transmission electron microscopy revealed that the GaOx grown on the MgO underlying layer has a cubic MgAl2O4-type spinel structure with a (001) orientation. When without MgO layer, however, a Ga-Fe-O ternary compound having the same crystal structure and orientation as the crystalline GaOx was observed. The results indicate that the MgO underlying layer effectively prevents the Fe bottom electrode from oxidation during the annealing process. Tunneling magneto-resistance effect was observed only for the sample with the MgO underlying layer, suggesting that Ga-Fe-O layer is not an effective tunnel-barrier. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GMR and TMR Sensors)
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Review

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9559 KiB  
Review
Biosensing Using Magnetic Particle Detection Techniques
by Yi-Ting Chen, Arati G. Kolhatkar, Oussama Zenasni, Shoujun Xu and T. Randall Lee
Sensors 2017, 17(10), 2300; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17102300 - 10 Oct 2017
Cited by 119 | Viewed by 14394
Abstract
Magnetic particles are widely used as signal labels in a variety of biological sensing applications, such as molecular detection and related strategies that rely on ligand-receptor binding. In this review, we explore the fundamental concepts involved in designing magnetic particles for biosensing applications [...] Read more.
Magnetic particles are widely used as signal labels in a variety of biological sensing applications, such as molecular detection and related strategies that rely on ligand-receptor binding. In this review, we explore the fundamental concepts involved in designing magnetic particles for biosensing applications and the techniques used to detect them. First, we briefly describe the magnetic properties that are important for bio-sensing applications and highlight the associated key parameters (such as the starting materials, size, functionalization methods, and bio-conjugation strategies). Subsequently, we focus on magnetic sensing applications that utilize several types of magnetic detection techniques: spintronic sensors, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensors, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), sensors based on the atomic magnetometer (AM), and others. From the studies reported, we note that the size of the MPs is one of the most important factors in choosing a sensing technique. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GMR and TMR Sensors)
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