Quartz Magnetometer Trapezoidal Resonant Plate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing silicon resonant magnetometers suffer from poor sensitivity and high temperature dependence, making them unsuitable for autonomous navigation systems that require precise detection of magnetic fields below 50 nT and stable operation across varying temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A quartz micro-scale piezoelectric resonating magnetometer with a trapezoidal or tee-shaped resonant plate design, featuring a wider tip and loop electrodes, which enhances magnetic sensitivity by concentrating Lorentz force and bending strain at the sense electrodes, allowing for detection of both DC and AC magnetic fields and multiple vector components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If silicon resonant magnetometers are used, then the device can be manufactured with standard semiconductor processes, but the sensitivity is poor and detection limit is above 1 μT
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from silicon to quartz, which has superior piezoelectric properties and temperature stability. This material substitution enables the magnetometer to achieve detection sensitivity below 50 nT while maintaining compatibility with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes through quartz MEMS fabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining quartz resonant plate with metal electrodes and interdigitated capacitor structures. This composite design leverages the piezoelectric properties of quartz combined with the electrical conductivity of metal materials, achieving both high sensitivity and ease of manufacture through integrated fabrication processes.
2Device complexity
If silicon resonant magnetometers are used, then the device structure can be simplified, but temperature dependence is high resulting in low measurement stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from silicon to quartz, which has superior piezoelectric properties and temperature stability. This material substitution enables the magnetometer to achieve detection sensitivity below 50 nT while maintaining compatibility with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes through quartz MEMS fabrication techniques.
3Measurement precision
If a larger resonant structure is used to improve sensitivity, then magnetic detection sensitivity increases, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from silicon to quartz, which has superior piezoelectric properties and temperature stability. This material substitution enables the magnetometer to achieve detection sensitivity below 50 nT while maintaining compatibility with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes through quartz MEMS fabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes mechanical resonance of the quartz plate at specific frequencies to amplify the magnetic field detection capability. By exciting the quartz resonant plate at its natural frequency, the system achieves high sensitivity detection without requiring large physical dimensions, as the resonant vibration amplifies the response to magnetic field changes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The quartz magnetometer achieves improved sensitivity, stability, and reduced noise, enabling detection limits under 50 nT with enhanced cross-axis sensitivity, suitable for precise navigation systems without compromising size or power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetometer is disclosed which has an resonating structure which preferably comprises a quartz plate
Implementation Method 2
The disclosed sensor may be manufactured using Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) techniques, but the invention as disclosed is not conceptually limited to being of a micro-scale in size or being manufactured using MEMS techniques. The sensor has a broaden tip or end and a loop electrode in addition to sense electrodes to provide enhanced magnetic sensitivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A resonator and/or a magnetometer has a resonating structure which is naturally resonant in at least one resonant mode, the resonating structure being significantly wider at a free end thereof than it is at a fixed end thereof, the resonating structure having at least one pair of sense electrodes disposed on opposing major surfaces of the resonating structure and having a conductive path formed as a loop, the loop being disposed near or at edges of the resonating structure so that the loop follows a path which is significantly wider at the free end of the resonating structure than it is at the fixed end of the resonating structure and wherein the at least one pair of sense electrodes are formed inwardly of the edges of the resonating structure and also inwardly of the path of the loop.