A 3-D Finite-Element Analysis of Giant Magnetoimpedance Thin-Film Magnetic Sensors

Giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) thin-film magnetic sensors are modeled and evaluated using 3-D physical simulations. In the presented simulation model, the analytical multi-physics equations of MI phenomena are solved with the help of the advanced finite-element method software. In this paper, Co
₇₂
Si
₁₂
B
₆
is considered as the GMI material, forming a tri-layer of Co
₇₂
Si
₁₂
B
₆
/Au/Co
₇₂
Si
₁₂
B
₆
. The effects of changes in frequency and external magnetic field are discussed in detail. The geometrical dependence of thin-film GMI sensors is also studied. A batch of thin-film sensors is fabricated and tested. The measured data are in good agreement with the simulation results obtained by the proposed model.