Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T14:08:11.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Micro-Fluxgate Magnetic Sensor Using Closely Coupled Excitation and Pick-Up Coils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Won-Youl Choi
Affiliation:
MEMS Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Suwon, Korea
Kyoung-Won Na
Affiliation:
MEMS Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Suwon, Korea
Sung-Jin Ahn
Affiliation:
MEMS Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Suwon, Korea
Sang-On Choi
Affiliation:
MEMS Laboratory, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Suwon, Korea
Get access

Abstract

This paper presents a micro-fluxgate magnetic sensor composed of a rectangular-ring shaped magnetic core and solenoid excitation and pick-up coils. In order to improve the sensitivity of sensing element, the excitation and pick-up Cu coils are formed as a closely coupled structure. This unique coil structure allows to excite the magnetic core in an optimal condition with reduced excitation current. The 11 μm thick excitation and pick-up Cu coils were electroplated using Cr (300 Å) / Au (1500 Å) seed layer. The 2.9 μm thick Ni0.8Fe0.2 (permalloy) magnetic core layer was also electroplated with photoresist frame using sputtered Ni0.8Fe0.2 seed layer. The rectangular-ring shaped core was covered by photoresist and wet etching using dilute sulfuric acid. The magnetic core has a DC permeability of ∼1100 and coercive field of 0.1 Oe. The magnetic core is easily saturated due to the low coercive field and closed magnetic path for the excitation field. The chip size of the fabricated sensing element is 1.3 × 1.0 mm2. Excellent linear response over the range of –100 μT to +100 μT is obtained with 14 V/T sensitivity at excitation sine wave of 3 VP-P and 150 kHz. This low magnetic field sensing element is very useful for various applications such as: portable navigation systems including north-up and map data scrolling, military research, medical research, and space research.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Primdahl, F., J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum., 12, 241 (1979).Google Scholar
2. Lenz, J., Proc. IEEE 78(6), 973, (1990).Google Scholar
3. Seitz, T., Sensors and Actuators, A21-23, 799 (1990).Google Scholar
4. Ripka, P., Tondra, M., Stokes, J., and Beech, R., Proc. Eurosensors XII, 967 (1998).Google Scholar
5. Kawahito, S., Satoh, H., Sutoh, M., and Tadokoro, Y., The 8th Int. Conf. on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators and Eurosensors IX, 290-A12, 233 (1995).Google Scholar
6. Choi, S., Kawahito, S., Matsumoto, Y., Ishida, M., and Tadokoro, Y., Sensors and Actuators, A55, 121 (1996).Google Scholar
7. Gottfried-Gottfried, R., Budde, W., Jahne, R., Kuck, H., Sauer, B., Ulbricht, S., and Wende, U., The 8th Int. Conf. on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators and Eurosensors IX, 289-A12, 229 (1995).Google Scholar
8. Liakopoulos, T. and Ahn, C., Sensors and Actuators A, 77, 66 (1999).Google Scholar
9. Robertson, P., Electronics Letters, 36(4), 331 (2000).Google Scholar
10. Ripka, P., Kawahito, S., Choi, S., Tipek, A., and Ishida, M., Sensors and Actuators A, 91, 65 (2001).Google Scholar