Microfabricated magnetic field transducer with flux guide

摘要

A microfabricated magnetic field transducer uses a magnetically sensitive structure in combination with one or more permeable magnetic flux guides. The flux guides may route off-axis components of an externally applied magnetic field across the sensitive axis of the magnetically sensitive structure, or may shield the magnetically sensitive structure from off-axis, stray fields or noise sources. A combination of flux guides and magnetically sensitive structures arranged on a single substrate may enable an integrated, 3-axis magnetometer in a single package, greatly improving cost and performance.

主权项

1. A magnetic transducer sensitive to an external magnetic field, comprising:
a magnetically sensitive structure having one axis of maximum sensitivity, disposed on a surface of a substrate; and a first flux guide and a second flux guide, having high magnetic permeability and configured to route at least one component of the external magnetic field along the axis of the magnetically sensitive structure, wherein at least one flux guide is configured to at least one of guide and amplify at least one component of the external magnetic field to the magnetically sensitive structure, wherein the first flux guide preferentially accepts desired components of the external magnetic field and provides a low reluctance path to deliver the desired components parallel to the one axis of sensitivity, and the second flux guide accepts undesired components and provides a low reluctance path not parallel to the one axis of maximum sensitivity, whereby the first flux guide and second flux guide are configured to separate cross talk between components of the external magnetic field, by shunting some lines of flux around the magnetically sensitive structure.