Patent · US Active

Optically transduced MEMS magnetometer

US8674689B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 14, 2011
Grant dateMar 18, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/032
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

MEMS magnetometers with optically transduced resonator displacement are described herein. Improved sensitivity, crosstalk reduction, and extended dynamic range may be achieved with devices including a deflectable resonator suspended from the support, a first grating extending from the support and disposed over the resonator, a pair of drive electrodes to drive an alternating current through the resonator, and a second grating in the resonator overlapping the first grating to form a multi-layer grating having apertures that vary dimensionally in response to deflection occurring as the resonator mechanically resonates in a plane parallel to the first grating in the presence of a magnetic field as a function of the Lorentz force resulting from the alternating current. A plurality of such multi-layer gratings may be disposed across a length of the resonator to provide greater dynamic range and/or accommodate fabrication tolerances.

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