Melexis Technologies Sa

Melexis Technologies Nv

Eth Zurich

Yves Bidaux

Lionel Tombez

Nicolas Dupre

Gael Close

David Goyvaerts

Jan-Willem Burssens

Jérôme Faist

Jean-Claude Depoorter

Appo Van Der Wiel

Filippos Kapsalidis

An integrated sensor device includes: a semiconductor substrate comprising a horizontal Hall element, and an integrated magnetic flux concentrator located substantially above said horizontal Hall element, wherein the first magnetic flux concentrator has a shape with a geometric center which is aligned with a geometric centre of the horizontal Hall element; and wherein the shape has a height H and a transversal dimension D, wherein H≥30 μm and/or wherein (H/D)≥25%. The integrated magnetic flux concentrator may be partially incorporated in the 'interconnection stack'. A method is provided for producing such an integrated sensor device.

Magnetic sensor device

A method of producing a semiconductor substrate comprising at least one integrated magnetic flux concentrator, comprising the steps of: a) providing a semiconductor substrate having an upper surface; b) making at least one cavity in said upper surface; c) depositing one or more layers of one or more materials, including sputtering at least one layer of a soft magnetic material; d) removing substantially all of the soft magnetic material that is situated outside of the at least one cavity, while leaving at least a portion of the soft magnetic material that is inside said at least one cavity. A semiconductor substrate comprising at least one integrated magnetic flux concentrator. A sensor device or a sensor system, a current sensor device or system, a position sensor device or system, a proximity sensor device or system, an integrated transformer device or system.

Semiconductor device with integrated magnetic flux concentrator, and method for producing same

A method of determining an orientation α,β of a magnet which is pivotable about a reference position having a predefined position relative to a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a) determining at least two of the following magnetic field gradients: i) a first magnetic field gradient dBx/dx; ii) a second magnetic field gradient dBy/dy; iii) a third magnetic field gradient dBz/dx; iv) a fourth magnetic field gradient dBz/dy; b) determining a first angle α based on at least one of the magnetic field gradients; c) determining a second angle β based on at least one of the magnetic field gradients. A sensor device is configured for performing this method. A sensor system includes such sensor device and a magnet, optionally connected to a joystick.

Device and method for determining an orientation of a magnet, and a joystick

Angular position sensor system comprising: a cylindrical magnet rotatable about a rotation axis; and an angular position sensor device comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of magnetic sensitive elements configured for measuring a first magnetic field component in a first direction and a second magnetic field component in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a processing circuit configured for calculating the angular position; the sensor device being oriented such that the first direction is oriented in a circumferential direction, and the second direction is either parallel or orthogonal to the rotation axis; the sensor device being located at a predefined position where a magnitude of a third magnetic field component orthogonal to the first and second magnetic field component is negligible over the 360° angular range.

Magnetic sensor device, system and method

A method of determining a linear or angular position of a magnetic sensor device relative to a magnetic source, or vice versa, the sensor device includes at least four magnetic sensor elements. The method involves the steps of: a) determining a first magnetic field gradient; b) determining a second magnetic field gradient; c) determining a ratio of the first and second magnetic field gradient; d) converting the ratio into a position; while matching signal paths of the magnetic sensor elements so as to improve signal-to-noise.

Position sensor devices, methods and systems based on magnetic field gradients

A position sensor device includes: a first, second and third magnetic sensor for measuring a first magnetic field component oriented in the first direction, and a second magnetic field component oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a processing circuit for determining a first and a second difference of signals provided by the first and third sensor, and for determining and outputting a first angle based on these differences; and for determining a third and a fourth difference of signals provided by the second sensor and one of the first and the third sensor; and for determining a second angle based on the third and the fourth difference, and for outputting the second angle and/or a diagnostic signal based on a comparison of the first and second angle.

Magnetic position sensor device, method and system, with error detection

A method of determining a gradient of a magnetic field, includes the steps of: biasing a first/second magnetic sensor with a first/second biasing signal; measuring and amplifying a first/second magnetic sensor signal; measuring a temperature and/or a stress difference; adjusting at least one of: the second biasing signal, the second amplifier gain, the amplified and digitized second sensor value using a predefined function f(T) or f(T, ΔΣ) or f(ΔΣ) of the measured temperature and/or the measured differential stress before determining a difference between the first/second signal/value derived from the first/second sensor signal. A magnetic sensor device is configured for performing this method, as well as a current sensor device, and a position sensor device.

Devices and methods for measuring a magnetic field gradient

A position sensor system for determining a position of a sensor device relative to a magnetic structure, the system comprising: said magnetic structure comprising a plurality of non-equidistant poles; said sensor device comprising at least three magnetic sensors spaced apart over predefined distances; and the sensor device being adapted for: a) measuring at least three in-plane magnetic field components, and for calculating two in-plane field gradients therefrom; b) measuring at least three out-of-plane magnetic field components, and for calculating two out-of-plane field gradients therefrom; c) calculating a coarse signal based on these gradients; d) calculating a fine signal based on these gradients; e) determining said position based on the coarse signal and the fine signal.

Magnetic position sensor system, device, magnet and method

An integrated sensor device includes: a semiconductor substrate comprising a horizontal Hall element, and an integrated magnetic flux concentrator located substantially above said horizontal Hall element, wherein the first magnetic flux concentrator has a shape with a geometric center which is aligned with a geometric centre of the horizontal Hall element; and wherein the shape has a height H and a transversal dimension D, wherein H&#x2265;30 &#x3bc;m and/or wherein (H/D)&#x2265;25%. The integrated magnetic flux concentrator may be partially incorporated in the 'interconnection stack'. A method is provided for producing such an integrated sensor device.

A position sensor device comprising two or more magnetic sensors capable of measuring one or two or three orthogonal magnetic field components at various sensor locations; and a processing circuit for determining a first, a second and a third difference of two respective components, and for determining a first ratio of the first and second difference, and determining and outputting a first angle based on this first ratio; and for determining a second ratio of the first and third difference, for optionally determining a second angle, optionally comparing the two angles or the two ratios; and for outputting at least one of: the second angle, the two ratios, a diagnostic signal based on a comparison of the angles or ratios.

A method of determining a gradient of a magnetic field, includes the steps of: biasing a first/second magnetic sensor with a first/second biasing signal; measuring and amplifying a first/second magnetic sensor signal; measuring a temperature and/or a stress difference; adjusting at least one of: the second biasing signal, the second amplifier gain, the amplified and digitized second sensor value using a predefined function f(T) or f(T, &#x394;&#x3a3;) or f(&#x394;&#x3a3;) of the measured temperature and/or the measured differential stress before determining a difference between the first/second signal/value derived from the first/second sensor signal. A magnetic sensor device is configured for performing this method, as well as a current sensor device, and a position sensor device.

Angular position sensor system comprising: a cylindrical magnet rotatable about a rotation axis; and an angular position sensor device comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of magnetic sensitive elements configured for measuring a first magnetic field component in a first direction and a second magnetic field component in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a processing circuit configured for calculating the angular position; the sensor device being oriented such that the first direction is oriented in a circumferential direction, and the second direction is either parallel or orthogonal to the rotation axis; the sensor device being located at a predefined position where a magnitude of a third magnetic field component orthogonal to the first and second magnetic field component is negligible over the 360&#xb0; angular range.

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Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

Yves Bidaux