Ultrasensitive magnetoelectric thin film magnetometer and method of fabrication
US7345475B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 16, 2007 |
| Grant date | Mar 18, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 16, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R33/18
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An ultrasensitive room temperature magnetoelectric thin film magnetometer is fabricated on a cantilever beam and includes an active magnetoelectric multilayer structure having a plurality of thin films formed at a region defined on the cantilever beam. Upon application of a magnetic field, the active magnetoelectric structure generates a corresponding response of an electrical nature which is a measure of a value of the applied magnetic field. The material of the cantilever beam may be removed beneath the active magnetoelectric multilayer structure to form a freestanding modification of the magnetometer with superior sensitivity. The active magnetoelectric multilayer structure is either a bi-layer structure which includes a piezoactive (piezoelectric and/or piezoresistive) thin film deposited in contact with a magnetostrictive thin film or a tri-layer active structure (in the free-standing implementation) including a piezoactive thin film sandwiched between a pair of magnetostrictive thin films.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.