Key Parameters for Detectivity Improvement of Low Noise Anisotropic Magnetoresistive Sensors Made of La<sub>2/3</sub>Sr<sub>1/3</sub>MnO<sub>3</sub> Single Layers on Vicinal Substrates
Luiz Guilherme Enger, Stéphane Flament, Imtiaz Noor Bhatti, Olivier Rousseau, Bruno Guillet, Marc Lam Chok Sing, Victor Pierron, Sylvain Lebargy, Sandeep Kumar Chaluvadi, B. Domengès, Arturo Vera, José Manuel Díez, Isidoro Martínez, R. Guerrero, Lucas Pérez, M. Teresa González, Rodolfo Miranda, Julio Camarero, Paolo Perna, Laurence Méchin
Abstract
The current trend in magnetoresistive sensors development is to increase the sensitivity of single sensing elements by using multilayer structures and to design them into arrays. Such arrays are designed to compensate the excess low frequency noise of individual elements, which limits their magnetic resolution. Here, we report the modeling, design, and fabrication of single layer anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensors using low noise epitaxial La 2/3 Sr 1/3 MnO 3 (LSMO) oxide thin films deposited on vicinal SrTiO 3 substrates. The fabrication process is simple, and the operation of the sensor is based on a step-induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, described using the Stoner–Wohlfarth model. A coherent magnetization reversal process is observed by magneto-optical Kerr effect imaging. A good agreement between experimental data and the expected sensor response confirms the correct operation of the device. Three main fabrication parameters, namely the vicinal angle of the substrate, the deposition temperature, the thin film thickness, and their effects on film anisotropy field and device detectivity have been studied. Detectivity levels as low as 1.4 nT Hz –1/2 at 1 Hz and 240 pT Hz –1/2 in the white noise region are achieved with a single Wheatstone bridge element operating at 310 K. Compared to GMR and AMR sensors, these results are promising for further development and for their use as single layer LSMO low field AMR sensors, including applications as implantable biomedical devices.