Lorentz-force magnetometer utilizing planar integrated electron gun

Abstract

A magnetic field sensing device fabricated via an integrated circuit fabrication process, incorporates a planar electron gun. The device has an evacuated chamber in which electrons emitted by cold field emission may travel on a long mean free path, with minimal collisions with atoms, ions or other obstructions. The device also has a glass or plastic window over the evacuated chamber, allowing the entry of magnetic fields, but not of air or contaminants. The device also has two or more anodes, to which nominally the same potential is applied, causing the electrons to drift or accelerate from the cathode to strike the anodes, with the number of electrons arriving at each anode being modulated by the Lorentz Force resulting from the magnetic field entering the chamber. The device also has an integrated voltage multiplier to provide a large negative potential to the cathode.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.