Micro- and nanostructured magnetic field sensor for space applications

Magnetometers are popular payloads on scientific space missions. Here, the design and fabrication process of a miniaturized magnetometer based on tunneling magnetoresistance is presented. The process is capable of making magnetic tunnel junctions in a wide size range, by employing both UV lithography and focused ion beam milling and deposition. Ga implantation in the ferromagnetic electrodes of the junction is studied in more detail. It was shown that Ga implantation may harm the magnetometer if the irradiation dose exceeds 10
¹⁴
Ga+ cm
^-2
.