Magnetic sensor and rotation-angle-detecting apparatus with a bridge circuit

1. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge circuit in which four magnetoresistive devices are connected,

said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer, and

at least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 36°≦θ<45°, wherein θ is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

2. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein two magnetoresistive devices are inclined by said acute angle θ, with the remaining two magnetoresistive devices inclined by an acute angle −θ, from the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

3. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , which comprises another bridge circuit in addition to said bridge circuit, a longitudinal direction of a magnetoresistive device in one bridge circuit being perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of a corresponding magnetoresistive device in the other bridge circuit.

4. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein two magnetoresistive devices constituting each half-bridge comprise pinned layers having antiparallel magnetization directions, and wherein one device is inclined by an angle θ, with the other device inclined by an angle −θ, from said magnetization direction of the pinned layer in each half-bridge.

5. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein two magnetoresistive devices constituting each half-bridge comprise pinned layers having antiparallel magnetization directions, both magnetoresistive devices in one half-bridge are inclined by an angle θ, with both magnetoresistive devices in the other half-bridge inclined by an angle −θ, from the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

6. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetoresistive device has (a) a shape of a folded straight line, (b) a shape comprising pluralities of semi-circles connected and longitudinally folded, (c) a shape comprising pluralities of partially notched circles connected and longitudinally folded, or (d) a shape comprising pluralities of partially notched polygons connected and longitudinally folded.

7. The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein an exchange-coupling field H int between the pinned layer and the free layer in said spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film meets the condition of −0.4 kA/m≦H int ≦+0.4 kA/m.

8. A rotation-angle-detecting apparatus comprising the magnetic sensor recited in claim 1 , and a magnet for applying a magnetic field to said magnetic sensor.

9. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge X comprising first to fourth magnetoresistive devices and a bridge Y comprising fifth to eighth magnetoresistive devices,

said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer,

an angle between the longitudinal direction of each device and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer meeting the following conditions:

the angle of the first device=the angle of the third device,

the angle of the second device=the angle of the fourth device,

the angle of the first device=−the angle of the second device,

the angle of the fifth device=the angle of the seventh device,

the angle of the sixth device=the angle of the eighth device,

the angle of the fifth device=−the angle of the sixth device, and

at least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 37°≦θ≦44°, wherein θ is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

10. The magnetic sensor according to claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal direction of each device in said bridge X is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a corresponding device in said bridge Y.

11. A rotation-angle-detecting apparatus comprising the magnetic sensor recited in claim 9 , and a magnet for applying a magnetic field to said magnetic sensor.

12. A magnetic sensor comprising a bridge X comprising first to fourth magnetoresistive devices and a bridge Y comprising fifth to eighth magnetoresistive devices,

said magnetoresistive device comprising a spin-valve, giant-magnetoresistive film comprising a pinned layer having unidirectional magnetic anisotropy, a free layer whose magnetization direction is rotated in alignment with an external magnetic field direction, and an intermediate layer sandwiched by said pinned layer and said free layer,

an angle between the longitudinal direction of each device and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer meeting the following conditions:

the angle of the first device=the angle of the fourth device,

the angle of the second device=the angle of the third device,

the angle of the first device=−the angle of the second device,

the angle of the fifth device=the angle of the eighth device,

the angle of the sixth device=the angle of the seventh device,

the angle of the fifth device=−the angle of the sixth device, and

at least one of said magnetoresistive devices meeting the condition of 39°≦θ≦44°, wherein θ is an acute angle between its longitudinal direction and the magnetization direction of the pinned layer.

13. The magnetic sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the longitudinal direction of each device in said bridge X is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a corresponding device in said bridge Y.

14. A rotation-angle-detecting apparatus comprising the magnetic sensor recited in claim 12 , and a magnet for applying a magnetic field to said magnetic sensor.