Multilayer thin film hall effect device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsPalmer N. Peters, Robert C. Sisk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Hall effect device and a method of obtaining a magnetic field map of a magnetic body with the Hall effect device. The device comprises: (1) a substrate, (2) a first layer having a first Hall coefficient deposited over the substrate and (3) a second layer having a second Hall coefficient deposited over the first layer, the first and second layers cooperating to create, in the Hall effect device, a third Hall coefficient different from the first and second Hall coefficients. Creation of the third Hall coefficient by cooperation of the first and second layers allows use of materials for the first and second layers that were previously unavailable for Hall effect devices due to their relatively weak Hall coefficient.
Claims20
A Hall effect device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first layer having a first Hall coefficient deposited over said substrate;
- and
- a second layer having a second Hall coefficient deposited over said first layer, said first and second layers cooperating to create, in said Hall effect device, a third Hall coefficient different from said first and second Hall coefficients.
A method of obtaining a magnetic field map of a magnetic body, comprising the steps of:
- providing a Hall effect device, comprising:
- a substrate,
- a first layer having a first Hall coefficient deposited over said substrate in an elongated strip, and
- a second layer having a second Hall coefficient deposited over said first layer in an elongated strip, said first and second layers cooperating to create, in said Hall effect device, a third Hall coefficient different from said first and second Hall coefficients;
- causing a bias current to flow in said first and second layers;
- moving said magnetic body in a direction substantially transverse to a length of said elongated strip of said first and second layers;
- and
- measuring a voltage between predetermined points of said first and second conductive layers, said voltage indicative of a strength of said magnetic field, to thereby produce said magnetic map of said magnetic body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.