Integrated vector sensor and magnetic compass using a novel 3D Hall structure

A new 3D silicon vector sensor using the Hall effect principle is realized and characterized. This microtransducer functionally integrates in a common sensor region two parallel-field Hall devices for the in-plane components of the magnetic field and one orthogonal Hall magnetic field version for the perpendicular to the chip, The advantages of this microtransducer are its very low channel cross-sensitivities about three orders of magnitude lower than the respective channel sensitivities, simultaneous on line 3D measurement at equal voltage surface conditions by separate differential current outputs and high spatial resolution 250 mum x 220 mum x 100 mum. A very promising magnetic compass for Earth magnetic field measurement is created and tested on the base of this 3D Hall structure using ferrite flux concentrators and liquid nitrogen temperature T = 77 K. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.