Integrated hybrid current sensor

• US 7,605,580 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Strzalkowski, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US11/771,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20090001964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/117.00H
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/181 using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used

Abstract

A sensor arrangement for measuring current is disclosed. The sensor arrangement includes a substrate, at least one Hall element integrated in or arranged on the substrate, a first coil that is spaced apart from a surface of the substrate in a vertical direction, a second coil that is spaced apart in a vertical direction from the first coil, and an isolation layer that is arranged between the first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement comprising:

a substrate;

a first coil spaced apart from a surface of the substrate in a vertical direction, wherein the first coil comprises a primary winding for carrying a primary current generating a magnetic field;

a second coil spaced apart in the vertical direction from the first coil, wherein the second coil comprises a secondary winding magnetically coupled with the primary winding and providing a first signal dependent on the primary current;

at least one Hall element integrated in or arranged on the substrate, wherein the Hall element is arranged such that it is pervaded by the magnetic field of the primary current for providing a second signal depending on the primary current;

an isolation layer arranged between the first coil and the second coil; and

an evaluation circuit for determining a measurement signal representing the primary current from a first signal and a second signal.

2. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first and the second coils comprise planar coils.

3. The sensor arrangement of claim 2, further comprising a further coil that is also arranged on the substrate and spaced apart in the vertical direction from the first coil.

4. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit integrated in the substrate.

5. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a digital processor for digital signal processing, the digital processor being integrated in the substrate.

6. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon semiconductor body.

7. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one Hall element comprises only one Hall element.

8. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first coil overlies the at least one Hall element.

9. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first coil has twice as many windings as the second coil.

10. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the evaluation circuit comprises:

a low-pass receiving the first signal and providing a third signal that is a low-pass-filtered version of the first signal; and

an adder for a weighted addition of the second signal and the third signal for providing a measurement signal that is dependent on the weighted addition.

11. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the Hall element can be calibrated in terms of offset and/or gain.

12. The sensor arrangement of claim 11, further comprising:

a further winding generating a magnetic field and arranged such that the magnetic field of the further winding pervades the Hall element; and

a control circuit receiving an output signal of the Hall element.

13. The sensor arrangement of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is adapted to inject a defined current signal into the further winding and to calibrate the Hall element using the current signal and the output signal of the Hall element.

14. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the Hall element comprises several single sensor elements, each single sensor element providing an output voltage.

15. The sensor arrangement of claim 14, wherein the Hall element comprises a control unit adapted for combining output voltages of the single sensor elements to one output signal of the Hall element.

16. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein a low-pass and an adder are implemented digitally and the measurement signal is provided as a digital word.

17. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein a control circuit receives a control signal for triggering a calibration operation or a measuring operation.

18. A sensor arrangement comprising:

a substrate;

at least one magnetic sensor element integrated in or arranged on the substrate;

a first coil spaced apart from a surface of the substrate in a vertical direction, the first coil comprising a primary winding for carrying a primary current generating a magnetic field;

a second coil spaced apart in the vertical direction from the first coil, the second coil comprising a secondary winding magnetically coupled with the primary winding and providing a first signal dependent on the primary current, wherein the magnetic sensor element is arranged such that it is pervaded by the magnetic field of the primary current for providing a second signal depending on the primary current;

an isolation layer arranged between the first coil and the second coil; and

an evaluation circuit for determining a measurement signal representing the primary current from the first signal and the second signal.

19. The sensor arrangement of claim 18, wherein the evaluation circuit comprises:

a low-pass receiving the first signal and providing a third signal that is a low-pass-filtered version of the first signal; and

an adder for a weighted addition of the second signal and the third signal for providing a measurement signal that is dependent on the weighted addition.

20. The sensor arrangement of claim 18, wherein the magnetic sensor element can be calibrated in terms of offset and/or gain.

21. The sensor arrangement of claim 20, further comprising:

a further winding generating a magnetic field and arranged such that the magnetic field of the further winding pervades the magnetic sensor element; and

a control circuit receiving an output signal of the magnetic sensor element.

22. The sensor arrangement of claim 21, wherein the control circuit is adapted to inject a defined current signal into the further winding and to calibrate the magnetic sensor element using the current signal and the output signal of the magnetic sensor element.

23. The sensor arrangement of claim 18, wherein the magnetic sensor element comprises several single sensor elements, each single sensor element providing an output voltage.

24. The sensor arrangement of claim 23, wherein the magnetic sensor element comprises a control unit adapted for combining output voltages of the single sensor elements to one output signal of the magnetic sensor element.

25. The sensor arrangement of claim 19, wherein the low-pass and the adder are implemented digitally and the measurement signal is provided as a digital word.

26. The sensor arrangement of claim 18, wherein a control circuit receives a control signal for triggering a calibration operation or a measuring operation.

27. The sensor arrangement of claim 18, wherein the magnetic sensor element comprises a Hall element.