Magnetic hysteresis modeling of electronic sensor devices and components

The non-linear dependence on history of magnetic field and magnetization in ferromagnetic materials is described by statistical domain behaviour using phenomenological parameters. These parameters are related to macroscopic hysteresis features (as coercivity, initial susceptibility, saturation, and remanence), which allows fast and easy identification. Consequently, these parameters are related to spontaneous magnetization, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, magnetostriction, and microstructure geometry, using dimensionless microscopic constants. This step allows correct interpretations of the parameter dependence and the macroscopic hysteresis on stress, temperature, and direction of magnetization. Examples of model applications are the prediction of the magnetic behaviour of thin films in magnetoresistive sensors, stress dependence of magnetization in amorphous ribbons, and Barkhausen noise. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.