MEMS Electronic Compass: Three-Axis Magnetometer

The goal of this is project is to develop a low-power three axis MEMS magnetic sensor suitable for use as an electronic compass in smart phones and portable electronics. Our objective is to achieve a resolution of 200 nT/rt Hz and power consumption of 5mW/axis with DC power supply of 3.3V. To enable co-integration with a 3-axis accelerometer, we seek to optimize sensor performance without the need for a vacuum seal. Although past devices designed by our group have demonstrated that our resolution goal is reachable, these devices suffered from dc offset larger than Earth’s field and required an external programmable oscillator for operation. Here, we aim to reduce offset by two orders of magnitude and develop self-oscillation loops to excite the sensor at its natural frequency.

Researchers

Publications

  • Li, M.; Horsley, D.A, “Offset Suppression in a Micromachined Lorentz Force Magnetic Sensor by Current Chopping,” Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of , vol.PP, no.99, pp.1,1
    doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2316452
  • Li, M.; Sonmezoglu, S.; Horsley, D.A, “Extended Bandwidth Lorentz Force Magnetometer Based on Quadrature Frequency Modulation,” Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of , vol.PP, no.99, pp.1,1
    doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2330055
  • Li, M.; Rouf, V.T.; Sonmezoglu, S.; Horsley, D.A, “Magnetic sensors based on micromechanical oscillators,” Frequency Control Symposium (FCS), 2014 IEEE International , vol., no., pp.1,3, 19-22 May 2014
    doi: 10.1109/FCS.2014.6859914
  • Mo Li; Ng, E.J.; Hong, V.A; Ahn, C.H.; Yushi Yang; Kenny, T.W.; Horsley, D.A, “Single-structure 3-axis lorentz force magnetometer with sub-30 nT/√HZ resolution,” Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 2014 IEEE 27th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.80,83, 26-30 Jan. 2014
    doi: 10.1109/MEMSYS.2014.6765578
  • Rouf, V.T.; Mo Li; Horsley, D.A, “Area-Efficient Three Axis MEMS Lorentz Force Magnetometer,” Sensors Journal, IEEE , vol.13, no.11, pp.4474,4481, Nov. 2013
    doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2013.2264807
  • Li, M.; Ng, E.J.; Hong, V.A; Ahn, C.H.; Yang, Y.; Kenny, T.W.; Horsley, D.A, “Lorentz force magnetometer using a micromechanical oscillator,” Applied Physics Letters , vol.103, no.17, pp.173504,173504-4, Oct 2013
    doi: 10.1063/1.4826278
  • Mo Li; Rouf, V.T.; Jaramillo, G.; Horsley, D.A, “MEMS Lorentz force magnetic sensor based on a balanced torsional resonator,” Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS & EUROSENSORS XXVII), 2013 Transducers & Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.66,69, 16-20 June 2013
    doi: 10.1109/Transducers.2013.6626702
  • Mo Li; Rouf, V.T.; Thompson, M.J.; Horsley, D.A, “Three-Axis Lorentz-Force Magnetic Sensor for Electronic Compass Applications,” Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of , vol.21, no.4, pp.1002,1010, Aug. 2012
    doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2012.2196493
  • Rouf, V.T.; Mo Li; Horsley, D.A, “Area-efficient three-axis micromechanical magnetic sensor,” Sensors, 2012 IEEE , vol., no., pp.1,4, 28-31 Oct. 2012
    doi: 10.1109/ICSENS.2012.6411324
  • M.J. Thompson and D.A. Horsley, “Lorentz force MEMS magnetometer,” Proceedings of the 2010 Workshop on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators, Hilton Head Island, SC, June 2010, pp. 44-48.
  • Thompson, M.J.; Li, M.; Horsley, D.A, “Low power 3-axis Lorentz force navigation magnetometer,” Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 2011 IEEE 24th International Conference on , vol., no., pp.593,596, 23-27 Jan. 2011
    doi: 10.1109/MEMSYS.2011.5734494
  • Thompson, M.J.; Horsley, D.A, “Parametrically Amplified Z -Axis Lorentz Force Magnetometer,” Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of , vol.20, no.3, pp.702,710, June 2011
    doi: 10.1109/JMEMS.2011.2140355
  • Thompson, M.J.; Horsley, D.A, “Parametrically amplified MEMS magnetometer,” Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Conference, 2009. TRANSDUCERS 2009. International , vol., no., pp.1194,1197, 21-25 June 2009
    doi: 10.1109/SENSOR.2009.5285917

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