Integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit in a measuring system for determining a rotation angle

Abstract

An integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit in a measuring system for determining a rotation angle, comprising a shaft, rotatable around a rotation axis, having a transducer, a first semiconductor layer designed as a die being provided, which has an upper side arranged perpendicularly to the rotation axis and an underside and a first Hall sensor system monolithically formed in the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer designed as a die being provided, which has an upper side arranged perpendicularly to the rotation axis and an underside and a second Hall sensor system monolithically formed in the second semiconductor layer, each Hall sensor system including at least one first Hall sensor and a second Hall sensor and a third Hall sensor.

Claims

1. An integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit in a measuring system for determining a rotation angle, the integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit comprising: a shaft rotatable around a rotation axis; a transducer; a first semiconductor layer designed as a die, which has an upper side arranged substantially perpendicularly to the rotation axis, an underside and a first Hall sensor system monolithically formed in the first semiconductor layer; and a second semiconductor layer designed as a die, which has an upper side arranged substantially perpendicularly to the rotation axis, an underside and a second Hall sensor system monolithically formed in the second semiconductor layer, wherein the first and Hall sensor system includes at least one first Hall sensor, a second Hall sensor, and a third Hall sensor, wherein the second Hall sensor system includes at least one first Hall sensor, a second Hall sensor, and a third Hall sensor, wherein the first, second, and third Hall sensors of the first Hall sensor system are formed along a first circle section, which runs in parallel to the upper side of the first semiconductor layer and is arranged concentrically to the rotation axis, and wherein the first, second, and third Hall sensors of the second Hall sensor system are arranged along a second circle section, which runs in parallel to the upper side of the second semiconductor layer and is arranged concentrically to the rotation axis.

2. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensors of the first and second Hall sensor systems have a substantially identical design, and wherein the first circle section has a larger or smaller radius than the second circle section.

3. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductor layers are arranged side by side on a metal carrier, the first circle section and the second circle section together forming a full circle, and wherein the Hall sensors of the first Hall sensor system and the Hall sensors of the second Hall sensor system are arranged along the full circle formed concentrically around the rotation axis.

4. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 3, wherein the Hall sensors of the first and second Hall sensor systems are arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner.

5. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a first magnetoresistive sensor unit with at least one magnetoresistive sensor, the first magnetoresistive sensor unit being formed on the upper side of the first semiconductor layer and on the upper side of the second semiconductor layer.

6. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the underside of the first semiconductor layer is disposed on an upper side of a metal carrier, and the underside of the second semiconductor layer is disposed on the underside of the metal carrier, and wherein an imaginary extension of the rotation axis penetrates the two semiconductor layers.

7. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensors of the first Hall sensor system form a first semicircle along the first circle section, and the Hall sensors of the second Hall sensor system form a second semicircle along the second circle section, the first and second semicircles each being arranged concentrically around the rotation axis.

8. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the underside of the first semiconductor layer is disposed on an upper side of a metal carrier, and the underside of the second semiconductor layer is disposed on an underside of the metal carrier, wherein the integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit further comprises: a first magnetoresistive sensor unit formed on the upper side of the first semiconductor layer, the first magnetoresistive sensor unit having at least one magnetoresistive sensor; and a second magnetoresistive sensor unit formed on the upper side of the second semiconductor layer, the second magnetoresistive sensor unit having at least one magnetoresistive sensor.

9. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 8, wherein the first and second magnetoresistive sensor units are penetrated by an imaginary extension of the rotation axis.

10. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first Hall sensor of the first Hall sensor system encloses an angle of 90° with respect to the second Hall sensor of the first Hall sensor system and an angle of 180° with respect to the third Hall sensor of the first Hall sensor system, and wherein the first Hall sensor of the second Hall sensor system encloses an angle of 90° with respect to the second Hall sensor of the second Hall sensor system and an angle of 180° with respect to the third Hall sensor of the second Hall sensor system.

11. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensors of the first and second Hall sensor systems are designed as a Hall plate having four terminals.

12. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second Hall sensor systems each include a fourth Hall sensor or each include a fourth Hall sensor and a fifth Hall sensor, or each include a fourth Hall sensor and a fifth Hall sensor and a sixth Hall sensor.

13. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor layer is a silicon semiconductor layer and/or the second semiconductor layer is a silicon semiconductor layer.

14. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first Hall sensor system and the second Hall sensor system have a same number of Hall sensors.

15. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensors of the first and second Hall sensor systems measure a same component of the magnetic field generated via the transducer.

16. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the Hall sensors of the first and second Hall sensor systems have a substantially identical design, and wherein the first circle section and the second circle section have a same radius.

17. The integrated rotation angle determining sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second Hall sensor systems are configured to be redundant to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a representation of an exemplary embodiment according to the invention of a rotation angle measuring sensor unit;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional representation of the rotation angle measuring sensor unit;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a representation of an exemplary embodiment according to the invention of the rotation angle measuring sensor unit;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional representation of the rotation angle measuring sensor unit from FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The illustration in FIG. 1 shows a representation of a first specific embodiment according to the invention of an integrated rotation angle measuring sensor unit 10.

(7) Rotation angle determining sensor unit 10 is part of a measuring system, which is not illustrated in greater detail, for a determination of the rotation angle of a shaft. In addition to the shaft rotatable around a rotation axis 15, the measuring system also comprises a transducer arranged on the shaft.

(8) The transducer is generally designed as a permanent magnet and is preferably disposed on the end face of the shaft.

(9) Rotation angle determining sensor unit 10 preferably includes a first semiconductor layer 20 comprising silicon or made up of silicon and a second semiconductor layer 22. First semiconductor layer 20 and second semiconductor layer 22 are each designed as so-called dies.

(10) First semiconductor layer 20 has an upper side 30 formed perpendicularly to rotation axis 15 and an underside 40. Underside 40 is disposed on a metal carrier LF or lead frame.

(11) A first Hall sensor system 50 of a monolithic design is formed in first semiconductor layer 20.

(12) An activation and evaluation circuit, which is not illustrated, is formed in first semiconductor layer 20, the activation and evaluation circuit being connected to first Hall sensor system 50.

(13) First Hall sensor system 50 includes at least one first Hall sensor 52, a second Hall sensor 54 and a third Hall sensor 56.

(14) The three Hall sensors 52, 54 and 56 of first Hall sensor system 50 are arranged on a first circle section 70, which runs in parallel to upper side 30 of semiconductor layer 20 and is arranged concentrically around rotation axis 15.

(15) A second Hall sensor system 60 of a monolithic design is formed in second semiconductor layer 22.

(16) An activation and evaluation circuit, which is not illustrated, is formed in second semiconductor layer 22, the activation and evaluation circuit being connected to second Hall sensor system 60.

(17) Second Hall sensor system 60 includes at least one first Hall sensor 62, a second Hall sensor 64 and a third Hall sensor 66.

(18) The three Hall sensors 62, 64 and 66 of second Hall sensor system 60 are arranged on a second circle section 80, which runs in parallel to upper side 32 of semiconductor layer 22 and is arranged concentrically around rotation axis 15.

(19) First Hall sensor system 50 is designed to be redundant with respect to second Hall sensor system 60 and measures a component of the magnetic field preferably generated along rotation axis 15 with the aid of the transducer.

(20) In both Hall sensor systems 50 and 60, the three Hall sensors 52, 62, 54, 64, 56 and 66 in each case are formed, spaced a distance apart, along particular circle circumference 70 and 80.

(21) The three Hall sensors 52, 62, 54, 64, 56 and 66 of the two Hall sensor systems 50 and 60 each preferably enclose an angle of 90° with respect to each other.

(22) Hall sensors 52, 62, 54, 64, 56 and 66 are each preferably designed as a Hall plate having at least four terminals.

(23) In the present case, the two dies are arranged side by side on metal carrier LF, first circle section 70 and second circle section 80 together forming a full circle, and Hall sensors 52, 54, 56 of first Hall sensor system 50 and Hall sensors 62, 64, 66 of second Hall sensor system 60 being arranged along the shared full circle formed concentrically around rotation axis 15.

(24) Hall sensors 52, 54, 56, 62, 64, 66 are arranged along the full circle in a rotationally symmetrical manner.

(25) A first magnetoresistive sensor unit 100, including at least one magneto resistive sensor, which is not illustrated, is arranged on the surface of the two dies. One part of first magnetoresistive sensor unit 100 is formed on the upper side of first semiconductor layer 20 and on the upper side of second semiconductor layer 22, the imaginary extension of rotation axis 15 preferably penetrating first magnetoresistive sensor 100 in its surface center of gravity.

(26) The illustration in FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional representation of the first specific embodiment according to the invention.

(27) Another die, which includes the first magnetoresistive sensor unit 100, is disposed on the surface of the two dies arranged side by side. First magnetoresistive sensor unit 100 is disposed centrically on the two semiconductor layers 20, 22. A gap is formed between the two semiconductor layers 20, 22 or between the two dies arranged side by side, among other things for the purpose of reducing the mechanical stress.

(28) Rotation axis 15 centrically penetrates first magnetoresistive sensor unit 100.

(29) The illustration in FIG. 3 shows a representation of a second specific embodiment according to the invention of the integrated rotation angle measuring sensor unit. The illustration in FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the second specific embodiment according to the invention. Only the differences from the first specific embodiment are explained below.

(30) The underside of first semiconductor layer 20 is disposed on an upper side of metal carrier LF, and the underside of second semiconductor layer 22 is disposed on the underside of metal carrier LF. In the present top view, only first semiconductor layer 20 is illustrated for reasons of clarity.

(31) An imaginary extension of rotation axis 15 does not penetrate the two semiconductor layers 20, 22 in the particular surface center of gravity of semiconductor layers 20, 22.

(32) Particular first Hall sensor 52, 62 of each Hall sensor system 50, 60 encloses an angle of 90° with respect to particular second Hall sensor 54, 64 of the same Hall sensor system 50, 60 and an angle of 180° with respect to third Hall sensor 56, 66 of the same Hall sensor system 50, 60.

(33) Hall sensors 52, 54, 56 of first Hall sensor system 50 are arranged along first circle section 70 and form a first semicircle.

(34) Hall sensors 62, 64, 66 of second Hall sensor system 60 are arranged along second circle section 80 and form a second semicircle.

(35) The two semicircles are each arranged concentrically around rotation axis 15.

(36) First magnetoresistive sensor unit 100, including at least one magnetoresistive sensor, is arranged on the upper side of first semiconductor layer 20.

(37) Second magnetoresistive sensor unit 102, including at least one magnetoresistive sensor, is arranged on the upper side of second semiconductor layer 22.

(38) Particular magnetoresistive sensor unit 100, 102 is centrically penetrated by an imaginary extension of rotation axis 15.

(39) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.