Allegro MicroSystems Patente

A magnetoresistance sensing device includes an on-chip coil capable of generating a magnetic field measured by a wheat stone bridge. The on-chip coil is used in a compensation loop and constructed in parallel with a main signal path using a separate, matched xMR compensation bridge. The separate xMR bridge allows generating and measuring a compensation signal continuously and differentially, which improves signal fidelity without introducing noise into the primary signal path. One or more chopper switches are provided to eliminate offset and flicker noise.

According to one aspect, a magnetic flux concentrator includes: a ferromagnetic material having a loop shape interrupted by an air gap region and forming a central opening, wherein the air gap region includes a first side having at least two protrusions and a second side having at least one protrusion interleaved with, and not in mechanical contact with, the protrusions of the first side. According to another aspect, a sensor utilizes such a magnetic flux concentrator to detect a difference in current between two conductors.

A sensor comprising: a sensing bridge including a first leg and a second leg, the first leg including a first magnetoresistance (MR) element that is coupled to a second MR element via a first transistor, the second leg including a third MR element that is coupled to a fourth MR element via a second transistor; a frontend circuit having a first input and a second input, the first input being coupled to the first leg, and the second input being coupled to the second leg; and a first resistive digital-to-analog converter (R-DAC) that is coupled to at least the first leg, the first R-DAC being arranged to receive a first trim code and modify a first resistance of the first leg based on the first trim code.

Disclosed are example systems and methods for error checking in magnetic field sensing applications. In particular, described are example systems and methods for error checking in magnetic field sensors used for determining a rotation angle of an object that rotates. In some embodiments, a plurality of signals representative of a magnetic field generated by a magnetic target may be received. The plurality of signals may be combined to determine a value, and a determination made as to whether the determined value is an expected value. When the determined value is not an expected value, an output signal representing an error may be output.

Disclosed are example systems, methods, and structures for improving magnetic field sensor performance. In particular, described are example systems, methods, and structures for improving magnetic field sensor performance in applications where magnetic field sensing elements detect a deflection of a magnetic field generated by a magnet. Systems, methods, and structures disclosed herein may provide a sensor device that includes magnetic field sensing elements and a plurality of magnet structures embedded in a semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the plurality of magnet structures may be configured to generate a magnetic field corresponding to a layout of the magnetic field sensing elements in the semiconductor die.

Systems, structures, packages, circuits, and methods provide multi-channel isolation transformer and gate driver structures with one or more primary and multiple secondary coils. The transformer structures include magnetic cores configured for use with multiple channels providing galvanic isolation for each channel. The channels can pass control (data) and/or power signals/pulses. One or more integrated circuits may be included with transformer packages, structures, and modules. In some examples, structure, chip packages, or modules may include one or more galvanically isolated gate drivers and/or other high voltage circuits.

A sensor, comprising: a first signal path including a plurality of magnetoresistance (MR) elements, the first signal path being configured to generate a first signal based, at least in part, on an output of the MR elements, the output of the MR elements being generated, at least in part, in response to an external magnetic field that is incident on the sensor and a first feedback magnetic field; a second signal path including one or more Hall elements, the second signal path being configured to generate a second signal based, at least in part, on an output of the Hall elements; a first feedback coil that is configured to generate the first feedback magnetic field, the first feedback coil being driven with a first drive current, the first drive current being generated, at least in part, based on the first signal.

Systems, structures, packages, circuits, and methods provide wireless power and communication signal transmission systems with channel redundancy. Embodiments can be used in mechanical systems having rotating components. Two emission coils can have different topologies and can be used with three or four reception coils. The chosen topologies can be selected to ensure and/or facilitate minimal mutual inductance across topologies when the reception coils are rotated relative to the emission coils. To minimize mutual inductance between coils of different power transmission channels, twists can be added to the coil topologies to alter coil field polarity. Angle sensing can be achieved by determining efficiency of power transmission between the transmission and reception coils.

An apparatus, comprising: a substrate; a switching device that is formed over the substrate, the switching device including a gate layer, a source layer, and a drain layer; a first layer of dielectric material that is formed over the switching device; a first contact member that is electrically coupled to one of the gate layer, the source layer, and the drain layer, the first contact member being formed of at least one electrically-conductive material, the first contact member extending through the first layer of dielectric material; a plurality of first magnetic field sensing elements, the plurality of first magnetic field sensing elements being arranged to at least partially surround the first contact member, the plurality of first magnetic field sensing elements being arranged, at least in part, to form a sensing circuit for measuring a level of electrical current through the first contact member.

Method and apparatus for a magnetic sensor device having a magnetic field sensing element to generate an output signal and a signal processing module coupled to the magnetic field sensing element, the signal processing module including linearization module having an analog translinear circuit.

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Magnetic angular sensor element (20) destined to sense an external magnetic field (60), comprising a magnetic tunnel junction (2) containing a ferromagnetic pinned layer (21) having a pinned magnetization (210), a ferromagnetic sensing layer (23), and a tunnel magnetoresistance barrier layer (22); the ferromagnetic sensing layer (23) comprising a first sensing layer (23a) being in direct contact with the barrier layer (22) and having a first sensing magnetization (230a), a second sensing layer (23b) having a second sense magnetization (230b), and a metallic spacer (24) between the first sensing layer (23a) and the second sensing layer (23b); wherein the metallic spacer (24) is configured to provide an antiferromagnetic coupling between the first sensing magnetization (230a) and the second sensing magnetization (230b) such that the first sensing magnetization (230a) is oriented substantially antiparallel to the second sensing magnetization (230b); the second sensing magnetization (230b) being larger than the first sensing magnetization (230a), such that the second sensing magnetization (230b) is oriented in accordance with the direction of the external magnetic field (60).

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A device, comprising: a position sensor including an optical sensing element and an image processor, the image processor being configured to use the optical sensing element to take images of a visual mark that is formed on a target, detect a position of the target based on the images, and generate a first signal that is indicative of the position of the target; a current sensor including one or more magnetic field sensing elements, the current sensor being configured to measure a level of electrical current through a conductor, and generate a second signal that is indicative of the level of the electrical current through the conductor; and a motor controller that is configured to receive the first and second signals and generate a third signal for powering an electric motor, the third signal being generated based on the first and second signals; and a semiconductor package.

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A voltage-isolated transformer and integrated circuit package includes a substrate with opposed first and second surfaces and including a plurality of conductive traces, with a recess disposed in the second surface. The plurality of conductive traces includes a first group and a second group that are galvanically separate. A magnetic core is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The magnetic core can include a soft ferromagnetic material. First and second coils are configured about the magnetic core and connected to the first and second groups of conductive traces, respectively, with the first and second coils and magnetic core being configured as a transformer. First and second integrated circuit die are disposed in the recess on the second surface. A dam is disposed on the first surface of the substrate and surrounding the magnetic core. An encapsulant disposed in the dam and encapsulating the magnetic core.

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A magnetoresistive element (10) for a 2D magnetic sensor, the magnetoresistive element (10) comprising a tunnel barrier layer (22) included between a reference layer (21) having a reference magnetization (210) and a sense layer (23) having a sense magnetization (230). The sense layer (23) comprises a sense synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure including a first sense sublayer (231) in contact with the tunnel barrier layer (22) and separated from a second sense sublayer (232) by a first nonmagnetic spacer layer (233) such that the first sense sublayer (231) is antiferromagnetically coupled to the second sense sublayer (232). The sense layer (23) is configured such that a sense magnetic ratio (ΔM) defined as: ΔM=MsFM2tFM2−MsFM1tFM1MsFM2tFM2+MsFM1tFM1 wherein M_SFM1 and M_SFM2 are the spontaneous magnetizations of the first and second sense sublayers (231, 232) and t_FM1 and t_FM2 are the thicknesses of the first and second sense sublayers (231, 232); and wherein the sense magnetic ratio is between 0.1 and 0.25.

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