G01R33/04

LAYOUTS FOR INTERLEVEL CRACK PREVENTION IN FLUXGATE TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING

An integrated fluxgate device contains a fluxgate magnetometer sensor with a fluxgate core of a thin film magnetic material. Metal windings are disposed above and below the fluxgate core. The fluxgate core has at least one end with a width of at least 5 microns. The fluxgate magnetometer sensor has a crack-resistant structure at the end of the fluxgate core. The crack-resistant structure includes at least one of a laterally rounded contour of the fluxgate core at the end having corner radii of at least 2 microns, a lower metal end structure in the lower dielectric layer extending under the end of the fluxgate core, or an upper metal end structure in the upper dielectric layer extending over the end of the fluxgate core.

Integrated Fluxgate Device with Three-Dimensional Sensing
20170229639 · 2017-08-10 ·

An electromagnetic sensing device with a package substrate, a first die mounted on the package substrate, and a second die mounted on the package substrate. The first die includes a first integrated circuit and a first magnetic core formed above the first integrated circuit. The first magnetic core has a first sensing axis parallel to a planar surface of the package substrate. The second die includes a second integrated circuit and a second magnetic core formed above the second integrated circuit. The second magnetic core has a second sensing axis orthogonal to the planar surface of the package substrate.

Integrated Fluxgate Device with Three-Dimensional Sensing
20170229639 · 2017-08-10 ·

An electromagnetic sensing device with a package substrate, a first die mounted on the package substrate, and a second die mounted on the package substrate. The first die includes a first integrated circuit and a first magnetic core formed above the first integrated circuit. The first magnetic core has a first sensing axis parallel to a planar surface of the package substrate. The second die includes a second integrated circuit and a second magnetic core formed above the second integrated circuit. The second magnetic core has a second sensing axis orthogonal to the planar surface of the package substrate.

FREQUENCY DETECTION ON SENSOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
20220034976 · 2022-02-03 · ·

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an integrated circuit includes: at least one sensing element configured to generate a sensed signal responsive to an electrical or magnetic phenomenon; an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the sensed signal into a digital signal; and a digital processor configured to detect a target frequency of the electrical or magnetic phenomenon by iteratively applying a first real-valued coefficient to samples of the digital signal using real-valued arithmetic.

CURRENT TRANSDUCER WITH FLUXGATE DETECTOR
20170219632 · 2017-08-03 · ·

Electrical current transducer (2) of a closed-loop type for measuring a primary current (I.sub.p) flowing in a primary conductor (1), comprising a fluxgate measuring head (7) and an electronic circuit (16) including a microprocessor (18) for digital signal processing. The measuring head includes a secondary coil (6) and a fluxgate detector (4) comprising an excitation coil and a magnetic material core. The electronic circuit comprises an excitation coil drive circuit (14) configured to generate an alternating excitation voltage to supply the excitation coil with an alternating excitation current (I.sub.fx), the secondary coil (6) connected in a feedback loop (12) of the electronic circuit to the excitation coil drive circuit (14), the electronic circuit further comprising a ripple compensation circuit (26, 28) configured to compensate for a ripple signal generated by the alternating excitation voltage.

CURRENT TRANSDUCER WITH FLUXGATE DETECTOR
20170219632 · 2017-08-03 · ·

Electrical current transducer (2) of a closed-loop type for measuring a primary current (I.sub.p) flowing in a primary conductor (1), comprising a fluxgate measuring head (7) and an electronic circuit (16) including a microprocessor (18) for digital signal processing. The measuring head includes a secondary coil (6) and a fluxgate detector (4) comprising an excitation coil and a magnetic material core. The electronic circuit comprises an excitation coil drive circuit (14) configured to generate an alternating excitation voltage to supply the excitation coil with an alternating excitation current (I.sub.fx), the secondary coil (6) connected in a feedback loop (12) of the electronic circuit to the excitation coil drive circuit (14), the electronic circuit further comprising a ripple compensation circuit (26, 28) configured to compensate for a ripple signal generated by the alternating excitation voltage.

Magnetic sensor drive circuit, magnetic sensor, current sensor, and method for driving magnetic sensor
09720052 · 2017-08-01 · ·

A magnetic sensor drive circuit that measures a magnetic field by passing a feedback current, which cancels changes in magnetic flux density using measured magnetic field, through a prescribed coil. The drive circuit includes: a first circuit block which controls the feedback current by using an external power source as a power source; a second circuit block which has an output adjustment circuit adjusting a signal according to the strength of the feedback current to be a signal proportional to the voltage of the power source; a first power source line which supplies the external power source to the first circuit block; a second power source line which supplies the external power source to the second circuit block in parallel to the first power source line; a first low pass filter; and a second low pass filter.

Magnetic sensor drive circuit, magnetic sensor, current sensor, and method for driving magnetic sensor
09720052 · 2017-08-01 · ·

A magnetic sensor drive circuit that measures a magnetic field by passing a feedback current, which cancels changes in magnetic flux density using measured magnetic field, through a prescribed coil. The drive circuit includes: a first circuit block which controls the feedback current by using an external power source as a power source; a second circuit block which has an output adjustment circuit adjusting a signal according to the strength of the feedback current to be a signal proportional to the voltage of the power source; a first power source line which supplies the external power source to the first circuit block; a second power source line which supplies the external power source to the second circuit block in parallel to the first power source line; a first low pass filter; and a second low pass filter.

MAGNETORESISTIVE WHEATSTONE MEASURING BRIDGE AND ANGLE SENSOR HAVING AT LEAST TWO SUCH MEASURING BRIDGES
20170322052 · 2017-11-09 ·

A magnetoresistive Wheatstone bridge includes two bridge branches connected in parallel between a supply potential Vb, wherein two series-connected resistor arrangements R1 and R3 or R2 and R4 are arranged in each bridge branch with an interposed measuring potential Vout. The resistor arrangements of the two bridge branches are situated diagonally opposite one another and at least two magnetoresistive resistor arrangements have a magnetically sensitive preferred direction. The preferred directions of diagonally opposing resistor arrangements of the bridge branches R1 and R4 or R2 and R3 differ by an angle other than 0° or 180°. An angle sensor includes at least two of the Wheatstone bridges offset by a predefined angle for determining an angular orientation of a magnetic field by a sine bridge and a cosine bridge. The measuring bridge reduces harmonics and optimizes resistance values, improving the accuracy of a phase-angle sensor signal and the sensor resolution.

Selective Patterning of an Integrated Fluxgate Device

A method comprises forming an etch stop layer, a first titanium layer, a magnetic core, a second titanium layer, and patterning the first and second titanium layers. The etch stop layer is formed above a substrate. The first titanium layer is formed on the etch stop layer. The magnetic core is formed on the first titanium layer. The second titanium layer has a first portion encapsulating the magnetic core with the first titanium layer, and a second portion interfacing with the first titanium layer beyond the magnetic core. The patterning of the first and second titanium layers includes forming a mask over a magnetic core region and etching the first and second titanium layers exposed by the mask using a titanium etchant and a titanium oxide etchant.