Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based current and magnetic field sensor having improved sensitivities

US7221144B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Ertugrul Berkcan · Clifton Park, US
• Shankar Chandrasekaran · Viralimalai, IN
• Christopher James Kapusta · Duanesburg, US
• Laura Meyer · Schenectady, US
• Glenn Scott Claydon · Wynantskill, US
• Debbie Gahaton Jones · Berkeley, US
• Anis Zribi · Colorado Springs, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 2005
• Grant date: May 22, 2007
• Expiry date: Nov 30, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49002
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based current & magnetic field sensor includes a MEMS-based magnetic field sensing component a structural component comprising a silicon substrate and a compliant layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, a magnetic-to-mechanical converter coupled to the structural component to provide a mechanical indication of the magnetic field, and a strain responsive component coupled to the structural component to sense the mechanical indication and to provide an indication of the current in the current carrying conductor in response thereto.