Spintronics and
Magnetic Biosensors

Advanced magnetoresistive devices and sensors for industrial,
life-science, and frontier applications, backed by 30+ years of expertise.

INESC MN’s Spintronics and Magnetic Biosensors group has well-established line of research with more than 30 years of experience and recognized valences in the development of magnetoresistive devices ( Tunnel magnetoresistance, Giant magnetoresistance an Anisotropic Magnetoresistance), comprising thin film stack engineering , deposition, micro and nano fabrication, testing, and monolithic (on CMOS) or hybrid integration.

Applications now concentrate on sensor development for industrial applications (magnetic field, current, position sensors, tactile), as well as life-sciences applications (biomedical, bioengineering, environmental, food and agriculture, biodefense fields) and tape recording

Thin films and devices for frontiers applications as memristors and photonics are also developed.

Research
Topics

Magnetoresistive sensors (TMR, GMR, AMR)

Materials and Thin Films

Scientific
Areas

Exchange bias stacks, and setting procedures (field, thermal, SOT setting procedures)

Biological and Biomedical Platforms

Technical
Expertise

Advanced spintronic stack deposition on 200mm wafers (TMR, GMR, AMR stacks)
Perpendicular anisotropy TMR stacks for MRAM or STT/SOT applications
Deposition techniques (Ion beam deposition, Xe, Ar, O2, N2 brams and Physical Vapour deposition, Ar, Xe): both up to 200mm wafer diameters; deposition under magnetic fields (IBD)
Ion Beam milling and surface modification (200mm and 150mm substrates)
Magnetic flux guide materials (sputtered CoZrNb, up to 2um thick)
Passivation layers (AlOx-PVD, IBD), PECVD SiOx and SiNx
Metallization (soft etch/TiWN/AlSiCu/TiWN)
Alternative metal layers (Au, Ru, W, Pt…)
Alternative oxide layers (TaOx, HfOx, others)
Magnetoresistide device micro (optical lithography) and nano (e-beam lithography) fabrication and characterization
Magnetic characterization: vibrating sample magnetometry (Microsense EZ7, up to 2T, oven option (up to 400C in Ar flow). Backup DMS VSM
Magnetoresistive device characterization (low field, 140Oe, medium field 400 Oe, high field 2kOe setups). Hot plate available for magnetoresistive device characterization up to 240C.
Transfer curve mapping on dull 200mm wafer
Non destructive testing setup with TMR heads
Noise characterization in magnetoresistive devices
Current imaging mapping with TMR heads (Neocera mapping tool)
Spin valve base static biosensing platformg mapping with TMR heads (Neocera mapping tool)
Spin valve based dynamic biosensing platform (cytometer)