The MEMS Flux Concentrator: Potential Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity Magnetometer

Abstract

Progress on the development of a device, the MEMS flux concentrator, for mitigating the problem of 1/f noise in magnetic sensors will be presented. The MEMS flux concentrator essentially eliminates the effect of 1/f noise by increasing the operating frequency of the sensor to a frequency region where 1/f noise is small. This is accomplished by putting flux concentrators on MEMS structures whose motion modulates the magnetic field at the position of the magnetic sensor. Depending on the sensor, mitigating the effect of 1/f noise will increase the sensitivity of magnetic sensors by one to three orders of magnitude. Combining the MEMS flux concentrator with magnetic tunnel junctions with MgO barriers should lead to low cost magnetic sensors that are able to detect 1 pT signals at 1 Hz.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA481427

Entities

People

  • Alan S. Edelstein
  • Edmond Nowak
  • Greg Fischer
  • Shu Fan Cheng
  • William Bernard

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Detectors
  • Dielectrics
  • Elements
  • Fabrication
  • Ferromagnetic Materials
  • Frequency
  • Magnetic Detectors
  • Magnetic Devices
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Materials
  • Magnetometers
  • Magnetoresistance
  • Materials
  • Military Research
  • Power Spectra
  • Sensitivity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

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