Magnetic field measurements with a novel surface micromachined magnetic-field sensor

The surface micromachining process of Robert Bosch GmbH has been used to fabricate a novel type of magnetic-field sensor. The Lorentz force, caused by the interaction of a current and an external magnetic field in a suspended surface micromachined conducting beam, laterally displaces the suspended structure. The displacement of the structure is converted into a capacitance change by comb-electrodes, which form a differential capacitor. An appropriate electronic circuitry measures the magnetic field by quantifying the displacement of the conducting beam. In order to increase sensitivity to magnetic fields, the magnitude of the deflection is increased by resonant operation in a vacuum ambient. The sensor obtains its vacuum environment by encapsulation with a new wafer bonding process. Prototype sensors with resonant frequencies in the range around 1300 Hz show Q-factors above 30. With these samples, relative magnetic sensitivities of 900 000 (V/A/spl middot/T) with a detection limit in the sub /spl mu/T-range are reported.