Abstract: An inductor conductor design which minimizes the impact of skin effect in the conductors at high frequencies in integrated circuits and the method of manufacture thereof is described herein.

Abstract: In a described example, a circuit includes a sensor circuit including multiple magnetic field sensors having respective sensor outputs. The magnetic field sensors are configured to provide magnetic field sensor signals at the respective sensor outputs representative of a measure of current flow through a conductive structure. A combiner interface has combiner inputs and a combiner output. The combiner inputs are coupled to the respective sensor outputs. The combiner interface is configured to provide an aggregate sensor measurement at the combiner output responsive to the magnetic field sensor signals, in which the aggregate sensor measurement is decoupled from magnetic fields generated responsive to the current flow through the conductive structure.

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate which includes a surface. The structure also includes a horizontal-type Hall sensor positioned within the substrate and below the surface of the substrate. The structure further includes a patterned magnetic concentrator positioned above the surface of the substrate, and a protective overcoat layer positioned above the magnetic concentrator.

Abstract: A packaged current sensor includes a lead frame, an integrated circuit, an isolation spacer, a first magnetic concentrator, and a second magnetic concentrator. The lead frame includes a conductor. The isolation spacer is between the lead frame and the integrated circuit. The first magnetic concentrator is aligned with the conductor. The second magnetic concentrator is aligned with the conductor.

Abstract: A wafer probe test system having a probe card with a probe head, a rotary magnet, a magnetic sensor positioned to sense the magnetic field of the rotary magnet and a controller coupled to the probe card, where the probe head has probe needles to engage features of test sites of a wafer in a wafer plane of orthogonal first and second directions, and the rotary magnet is rotatable around an axis of a third direction to provide a magnetic field to the wafer, in which the controller includes a model of magnetic flux density in the first, second and third directions at the respective test sites of the wafer as a function of a rotational angle of the rotary magnet, a probe needle height along the third direction and a measured magnetic flux density of the magnetic sensor.

Abstract: Various examples provide an electronic device that includes first and second resistor segments. Each of the resistor segments has a respective doped resistive region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The resistor segments are connected between first and second terminals. The first resistor segment is configured to conduct a current in a first direction, and the second resistor segment is configured to conduct the current in a second different direction. The directions may be orthogonal crystallographic directions of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate which includes a surface. The structure also includes a horizontal-type Hall sensor positioned within the substrate and below the surface of the substrate. The structure further includes a protective overcoat layer positioned above the surface of the substrate, and a sphere-shaped magnetic concentrator positioned above the protective overcoat layer. Instead of or in addition to the sphere-shaped magnetic concentrator, the structure may include an embedded magnetic concentrator positioned within the substrate and below the horizontal-type Hall sensor.

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate which includes a surface. The structure also includes a horizontal-type Hall sensor positioned within the substrate and below the surface of the substrate. The structure further includes a patterned magnetic concentrator positioned above the surface of the substrate, and a protective overcoat layer positioned above the magnetic concentrator.

Abstract: An integrated AMR sensor includes a half bridge with two resistors, a Wheatstone bridge with four resistors, or a first Wheatstone bridge with four resistors in an orthogonal configuration, and a second Wheatstone bridge with four resistors in an orthogonal configuration, oriented at 45 degrees with respect to the first Wheatstone bridge. Each resistor includes first magnetoresistive segments with current flow directions oriented at a first tilt angle with respect to a reference direction of the resistor, and second magnetoresistive segments with current flow directions oriented at a second tilt angle with respect to the reference direction. The tilt angles are selected to advantageously cancel angular errors due to shape anisotropies of the magnetoresistive segments. In another implementation, the disclosed system/method include a method for identifying tilt angles which cancel angular errors due to shape anisotropies of the magnetoresistive segments.

Abstract: A strain gauge sensor includes a substrate, at least one resistor comprising a magnetoresistive material on the substrate. The magnetoresistive material exhibits a magnetostriction coefficient ? that is greater than or equal to () |2| parts per million (ppm) and an anisotropic magnetoresistance effect with an anisotropic magnetoresistance of greater than or equal to () 2% ? R/R. The strain gauge sensor consists of a single layer of the magnetoresistive material. At least a first contact to the resistor provides a sensor input and a second contact to the resistor provides a sensor output.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a fluxgate magnetometer. The magnetic core of the fluxgate magnetometer is encapsulated with a layer of encapsulant of a nonmagnetic metal or a nonmagnetic alloy. The layer of encapsulate provides stress relaxation between the magnetic core material and the surrounding dielectric. A method for forming an integrated circuit has the magnetic core of a fluxgate magnetometer encapsulated with a layer of a nonmagnetic metal or nonmagnetic alloy to eliminate delamination and to substantially reduce cracking of the dielectric that surrounds the magnetic core.

Abstract: An integrated fluxgate device has a magnetic core disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A first winding is disposed in a first metallization level above and a second metallization level below the magnetic core, and is configured to generate a first magnetic field in the magnetic core. A second winding is disposed in the first and second metallization levels and is configured to generate a second magnetic field in the magnetic core. A third winding is disposed in the first and second metallization levels and is configured to sense a magnetic field in the magnetic core that is the net of the first and second magnetic fields.

Abstract: A Hall effect sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first well formed in the semiconductor substrate, a first ohmic contact formed in the first well, a second ohmic contact formed in the first well, a first terminal electrically coupled to the first ohmic contact, a second terminal electrically coupled to the second ohmic contact, and a first metal layer formed over the semiconductor substrate. The first metal layer comprises a first interconnect and a first trace, where the first trace is formed over the first well, and where the first interconnect electrically couples a first part of the first well to a second part of the first well. The first and second ohmic contacts are each positioned between the first part and the second part of the first well, where the first interconnect is electrically isolated from the first trace.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a fluxgate magnetometer. The magnetic core of the fluxgate magnetometer is encapsulated with a layer of encapsulant of a nonmagnetic metal or a nonmagnetic alloy. The layer of encapsulate provides stress relaxation between the magnetic core material and the surrounding dielectric. A method for forming an integrated circuit has the magnetic core of a fluxgate magnetometer encapsulated with a layer of a nonmagnetic metal or nonmagnetic alloy to eliminate delamination and to substantially reduce cracking of the dielectric that surrounds the magnetic core.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR) angle sensor die. The die comprises a plurality of AMR angle sensors, each of the plurality of AMR angle sensors comprising a first Wheatstone bridge and a second Wheatstone bridge, wherein an angle position output of the sensor die includes a combination of angle position outputs of each of the plurality of AMR angle sensors.

Abstract: Various examples provide an electronic device that includes first and second rectangular resistor segments, each resistor segment having a doped resistive region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The first resistor segment has a first trim end and a first bridge end, and the second resistor segment has a second bridge end. The first bridge end is adjacent the second bridge end. A conductive interconnect line connects to the first bridge end and to the second bridge end. At least one connection terminal to the first resistor segment is located at the first trim end.

Abstract: Various examples provide an electronic device that includes first and second resistor segments. Each of the resistor segments has a respective doped resistive region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The resistor segments are connected between first and second terminals. The first resistor segment is configured to conduct a current in a first direction, and the second resistor segment is configured to conduct the current in a second different direction. The directions may be orthogonal crystallographic directions of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An integrated fluxgate device has a magnetic core disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A first winding is disposed in a first metallization level above and a second metallization level below the magnetic core, and is configured to generate a first magnetic field in the magnetic core. A second winding is disposed in the first and second metallization levels and is configured to generate a second magnetic field in the magnetic core. A third winding is disposed in the first and second metallization levels and is configured to sense a magnetic field in the magnetic core that is the net of the first and second magnetic fields.

Abstract: A Hall effect sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first well formed in the semiconductor substrate, a first ohmic contact formed in the first well, a second ohmic contact formed in the first well, a first terminal electrically coupled to the first ohmic contact, a second terminal electrically coupled to the second ohmic contact, and a first metal layer formed over the semiconductor substrate. The first metal layer comprises a first interconnect and a first trace, where the first trace is formed over the first well, and where the first interconnect electrically couples a first part of the first well to a second part of the first well. The first and second ohmic contacts are each positioned between the first part and the second part of the first well, where the first interconnect is electrically isolated from the first trace.

Abstract: Disclosed examples provide wafer-level integration of magnetoresistive sensors and Hall-effect sensors in a single integrated circuit, in which one or more vertical and/or horizontal Hall sensors are formed on or in a substrate along with transistors and other circuitry, and a magnetoresistive sensor circuit is formed in the IC metallization structure.