Patent · US Expired

Magnetic field sensor

US4843444A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
1References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1988
Grant dateJun 27, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/06
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A magnetic sensor is formed by a diode that includes a silicon element whose bulk is of high resistivity and low recombination velocity material and which includes spaced apart on its top surface n-type and p-type zones to which are provided electrical terminals. The element is treated to form at the top surface regions of high recombination velocity so located that when a voltage is applied between the electrical terminals to establish a flow of minority charge carriers between the p-type and n-type zones, such flow, in the absence of an applied magnetic field to be sensed, is little affected by the surface regions of high recombination velocity, but in the presence of any such field, is deflected into such surface regions and extinguished. Advantageously, the surface regions are formed by etching to form grooves and then ion implanting the grooved regions.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.