US 9,791,523 B2Granted

Magnetic sensor utilizing magnetization reset for sense axis selection

AssigneeFairchild Semiconductor Corporation

InventorPhil Mather

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Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a first magnetic sensor configured to sense first and second components of a magnetic field in respective, orthogonal directions, using first, second, third, and fourth sense elements, each on an angled surface sloped with respect to a surface, each including respective first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal axes, each parallel to each other. Further, a second magnetic sensor on the same surface can sense second and third components of a magnetic field in respective, orthogonal directions, using first, second, third, and fourth sense elements, each on an angled surface sloped with respect to the first surface, each including respective first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal axes, each parallel to each other and orthogonal to the longitudinal axes of the first magnetic sensor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a first material providing a first surface;
and
a first magnetic sensor configured to sense first and second components of a magnetic field in respective, orthogonal directions, the first component in one of an X direction or a Y direction parallel to the first surface, and the second component in a Z direction orthogonal to the first surface,
wherein the first magnetic sensor includes first, second, third, and fourth sense elements, each on an angled surface sloped with respect to the first surface, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sense elements of the first magnetic sensor include respective first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal axes, each parallel to each other, and
wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sense elements of the first magnetic sensor include a plurality of bias elements disposed on a surface of a respective sense element longitudinally at a 45-degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the respective sense element to deflect magnetization from the longitudinal axis of the respective sense element.

2 more elements

A method, comprising:

sensing first and second components of a magnetic field in respective, orthogonal directions, the first component in one of an X direction or a Y direction parallel to the first surface, and the second component in a Z direction orthogonal to the first surface,
wherein sensing the first and second components includes using a first magnetic sensor including first, second, third, and fourth sense elements, each on an angled surface sloped with respect to a first surface of a first material, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sense elements of the first magnetic sensor include respective first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal axes, each parallel to each other, and
biasing each respective sense element of the first, second, third, and fourth sense elements of the first magnetic sensor using separate pluralities of bias elements disposed on a surface of each of the first, second, third, and fourth sense elements longitudinally at a 45-degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the respective sense element to deflect magnetization from the longitudinal axis of the respective sense element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.