MEMS magnetic field sensor

• US 9,804,233 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Sang Won, Ko, Yong Jun, Kwon, Seung Hwa, Seo, Jeong Gi, Ji, Chil Young, Choi, Wan Seop
• Primary Examiner(s): Astacio-Oquendo, Giovanni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fortich, Alvaro
• Application Number:
  US14/888,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0286 comprising microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] MEMS devices in general B81B

Abstract

The disclosure provides a magnetic field sensor for sensing the magnetic field caused by a current to be measured, which includes: substrate; a first drive electrode with a path for flowing a reference current supplied from the substrate arranged so as to be moveable by the magnetic field of the current to be measured; and a second drive electrode with a path for flowing a reference current supplied from the substrate arranged so as to be moveable by the magnetic field of the current to be measured, thus measuring the variation of a capacitance caused by the movement of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode. Hence, the sensing is achieved by the two drive electrodes with no reference electrode, thus maximizing the mechanical displacement to improve the sensing capability.

Claims

1. A magnetic field sensor for sensing a magnetic field caused by a current to be measured, the magnetic field sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a first drive electrode having a path, which flows a reference current supplied from the substrate, to be movable by the magnetic field of the current to be measured; and

a second drive electrode having a path, which flows the reference current supplied from the substrate, to be movable by the magnetic field of the current to be measured,

wherein variation of a capacitance is measured by movement of the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode.

2. The magnetic field sensor of claim 1, wherein the first drive electrode comprises

a first reference electrode to flow the reference current supplied from the substrate and a first variable electrode electrically insulated from the first reference electrode and mechanically coupled to the first reference electrode to receive a sensing reference voltage applied thereto to measure the variation of the capacitance, and

wherein the second drive electrode comprises a second reference electrode to flow the reference current supplied from the substrate and a second variable electrode electrically insulated from the first reference electrode and mechanically coupled to the second reference electrode to output variation of the sensing reference voltage resulting from the variation of the capacitance.

3. The magnetic field sensor of claim 2, further comprising an elastic part to mechanically and electrically connect the substrate with the first and second drive electrodes,

wherein the first and second variable electrodes move by the magnetic field of the current to be measured to form a variable capacitor.

4. The magnetic field sensor of claim 2, wherein the first drive electrode comprises a first coupling part to mechanically couple the first reference electrode and the first variable electrode, which are insulated from each other, to each other, and

wherein the second drive electrode comprises a second coupling part to mechanically couple the second reference electrode and the second variable electrode, which are insulated from each other, to each other.

5. The magnetic field sensor of claim 4, wherein the first variable electrode comprises a plurality of first electrode pieces protruding toward the second variable electrode,

the second variable electrode comprises a plurality of second electrode pieces protruding toward the first variable electrode, and

the first electrode pieces are alternately aligned with the second electrode pieces.

6. The magnetic field sensor of claim 5, wherein, in an MEMS magnetic field sensor, an overlapped area between the first electrode piece and the second electrode piece is variable depending on a first voltage and a second voltage.

7. The magnetic field sensor of claim 5, wherein, in an MEMS magnetic field sensor, a distance between the first electrode piece and the second electrode piece is variable depending on a first voltage and a second voltage.

8. The magnetic field sensor of claim 6, wherein the first reference electrode has a shape identical to a shape of the first variable electrode, and the second reference electrode has a shape identical to a shape of the second variable electrode.

9. The magnetic field sensor of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises a support substrate, and an electrode layer for formation of a plurality of electrodes on the support substrate, and

wherein the first and second reference electrodes, the first and second variable electrodes, and the elastic part are formed from the electrode layer to be maintained in a floating state from the substrate.

10. The magnetic field sensor of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the support substrate for the first and second coupling parts is thinner than a thickness of the support substrate for the substrate.

11. The magnetic field sensor of claim 4, wherein the first reference electrode and the second reference electrode receive a first voltage and a second voltage, respectively, within the magnetic field formed by the current to be measured.

12. The magnetic field sensor of claim 11, wherein the first and second voltages are DC voltages.

13. The magnetic field sensor of claim 11, wherein the first and second voltages are AC voltages.

14. The magnetic field sensor of claim 13, wherein, when the first and second voltages are the AC voltages, the AC voltages have frequencies identical to mechanical resonance frequencies of an MEMS magnetic field sensor.

15. The magnetic field sensor of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor is a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) device.