Electronic Energy Meter Based on a Tunnel Magnetoresistive Effect (TMR) Current Sensor
In the present work, the design and microfabrication of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) electrical current sensor is presented. After its physical and electrical characterization, a wattmeter is developed to determine the active power delivered to a load from the AC 50/60 Hz mains line. Experimental results are shown up to 1000 W of power load. A relative uncertainty of less than 1.5% with resistive load and less than 1% with capacitive load was obtained. The described application is an example of how TMR sensing technology can play a relevant role in the management and control of electrical energy.
Fractional Modeling of the AC Large-Signal Frequency Response in Magnetoresistive Current Sensors
Fractional calculus is considered when derivatives and integrals of non-integer order are applied over a specific function. In the electrical and electronic domain, the transfer function dependence of a fractional filter not only by the filter order n, but additionally, of the fractional order α is an example of a great number of systems where its input-output behavior could be more exactly modeled by a fractional behavior. Following this aim, the present work shows the experimental ac large-signal frequency response of a family of electrical current sensors based in different spintronic conduction mechanisms. Using an ac characterization set-up the sensor transimpedance function is obtain…
Total ionizing dose (TID) evaluation of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) current sensors
Abstract The paper shows an experimental study to know the behaviour of tunnel magnetoresistive effect-based current sensors configured in a Wheatstone bridge in response to irradiation. In particular the sensitivity, hysteresis, output offset voltage and input resistance are discussed when the sensors are submitted to a total irradiation dose of 43 krad with 36 krad/h dose rate. The same electrical parameters were studied subsequently once the irradiated sensors were submitted to an 80 °C annealing process. The studied TMR sensors are applied in a switched-mode power converter for space application.
Electrical Characterization of a Magnetic Tunnel Junction Current Sensor for Industrial Applications
The objective of the work was the design of a Wheatstone bridge current sensor using MTJ as magnetoresistive elements. Each one of the four resistances of the bridge consists on 360 MTJ single elements connected in series for improved electrical robustness. A printed circuit board (PCB) was designed with a U-shaped copper trace placed under the PCB maintaining a 1.1 mm separation distance between sensor and trace. A 160% of tunnel magnetoresistance effect in the single junction and a 120% in its corresponding series elements connection has been achieved with a sensitivity of 9.2 Ω/Oe in a 65 Oe linear range. The DC sensor sensitivity in response to an external DC current sweeps of ±10, ±20,…
Note: A non-invasive electronic measurement technique to measure the embedded four resistive elements in a Wheatstone bridge sensor
The work shows a measurement technique to obtain the correct value of the four elements in a resistive Wheatstone bridge without the need to separate the physical connections existing between them. Two electronic solutions are presented, based on a source-and-measure unit and using discrete electronic components. The proposed technique brings the possibility to know the mismatching or the tolerance between the bridge resistive elements and then to pass or reject it in terms of its related common-mode rejection. Experimental results were taken in various Wheatstone resistive bridges (discrete and magnetoresistive integrated bridges) validating the proposed measurement technique specially whe…
MgO Magnetic Tunnel Junction Electrical Current Sensor With Integrated Ru Thermal Sensor
Full Wheatstone bridge electrical current sensor incorporating 114 MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction elements (3 × 30 μm2) connected in series was produced for improved electrical robustness. To that end, magnetic tunnel junctions with R × A ~7 KΩ μm2 tunneling magnetoresistance of 200%, were produced. The sensor was designed with an integrated Ru thin film resistive thermal detector (RTD) for temperature drift monitoring and compensation. In order to achieve a full bridge signal, a U-shaped copper trace was placed under a printed circuit board (PCB) specifically designed for this type of device. The resulting device exhibit sensitivities of 63.9 V/Oe/A in a 75 Oe linear range biased with …