3-D magnetic sensor

A magnetic field sensor, comprising:

• a semiconductor die;
• a plurality of magnetic sensor elements disposed at predetermined positions within or along a surface of the semiconductor die;
• a gap layer abutting the semiconductor die or the plurality of magnetic sensor elements;
• and
• a squat soft-magnetic body abutting the gap layer directly or via interstitial structures or layers, wherein the entire squat soft-magnetic body comprises a spherical shaped soft-magnetic body, and wherein in the presence of an external magnetic field the squat soft-magnetic body is configured to generate a reactionary magnetic field that is superimposed on the external magnetic field to generate an inhomogeneous superimposed magnetic field having magnetic field components perpendicular to the surface of the semiconductor die with values that change in a different manner at respective magnetic sensor elements as a function of an orientation of the external magnetic field.

A method for detecting a magnetic field, comprising:

• applying an external magnetic field to a squat soft-magnetic body to induce a reactionary magnetic field, wherein the entire squat soft-magnetic body comprises a spherical shaped soft-magnetic body;
• measuring magnetic field values of a superposition of the external magnetic field and the reactionary magnetic field along a first axis at a plurality of spatially diverse locations within or along a substrate;
• and
• computing magnetic field components along a plurality of orthogonal axes based upon the measured magnetic field values of the superposition of the external magnetic field and the reactionary magnetic field.