Exchange-Biased Multiring Planar Hall Magnetoresistive Sensors With Nanotesla Resolution in Nonshielded Environments

Planar Hall magnetoresistive sensors (PHMRs) are promising candidates for various magnetic sensing applications due to their high sensitivity, low power consumption, and compatibility with integrated circuit technology. However, their performance is often limited by inherent noise sources, impacting their resolution and overall sensitivity. Here the effect of three bilayer structures NiFe(10 nm)/IrMn(10 nm), NiFe(30 nm)/IrMn(10 nm), and NiFe(30 nm)/IrMn(20 nm) on noise levels is investigated at low frequency (DC-25 Hz). This study includes a detailed investigation on the optimization process and noise characteristics of multiring PHMR sensors, focusing on identifying and quantifying the dominant noise sources. The experimental measurements are complemented by a theoretical analysis of noise sources including thermal noise, 1/f noise, intermixing, and environmental noise. The best magnetic resolution is observed for the NiFe(30 nm)/IrMn(10 nm) structure, which achieves a detectivity below 1.5 nT/√Hz at 10 Hz in a nonshielded environment at room temperature. In addition, a substantial improvement in sensitivity is observed by annealing the sensors at 250 °C for 1 h. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of noise behavior in PHMR sensors, paving the way for developing strategies to improve their performance for demanding sensing applications at low frequencies.