Current sensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796572-B2
Application number	US-202117515075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A current sensor system has a conductor and a packaged integrated circuit for sensing a current in the conductor. The conductor is external to the packaged integrated circuit. The packaged integrated circuit includes a substrate having an active surface and a back surface; one or more magnetic sensing elements; a processing circuit arranged to process signals received from the one or more magnetic sensing elements to derive an output signal indicative of a sensed current in the conductor; a housing; a plurality of leads; electrical connections between the leads and the active surface. The back surface of the substrate is disposed on a support formed by at least two inner lead portions of the plurality of leads and the active side of the substrate is oriented towards the outer ends of the outer lead portions of the leads in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current sensor system comprising a conductor and a packaged integrated circuit for sensing a current in said conductor, said conductor being external to said packaged integrated circuit, said packaged integrated circuit comprising:
a substrate having an active surface and a back surface,
one or more magnetic sensing elements disposed in or on said active surface of said substrate,
a processing circuit disposed in or on said active surface of said substrate and arranged to process signals received from said one or more magnetic sensing elements to derive an output signal indicative of a sensed current in said conductor,
a housing,
a plurality of leads having an outer lead portion extending outside said housing and an inner lead portion,
electrical connections between each of said plurality of leads and said active surface of said substrate,
wherein said back surface of said substrate is disposed on a support formed by at least two inner lead portions of said plurality of leads and said active side of said substrate is oriented towards the outer ends of said outer lead portions of said leads in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by said support.

2. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least two inner lead portions do not overlap with said one or more magnetic sensing elements.

3. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said one or more magnetic sensing elements are Hall effect plates disposed in said active surface of said substrate.

4. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said one or more magnetic sensing elements are magnetoresistance elements.

5. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said one or more magnetic sensing elements are compound semiconductors disposed on or stacked on said active surface of said substrate.

6. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein two or more of said inner lead portions of said plurality of leads are bent.

7. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said conductor is so positioned that said active surface of said substrate faces said conductor.

8. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said conductor is so positioned that said active surface of said substrate faces away from said conductor.

9. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said outer ends of said outer lead portions are mounted on a printed circuit board or on a plastic support.

10. The current sensor system as in claim 9 , wherein said printed circuit board comprises a ground layer.

11. The current senor system as in claim 1 , wherein said conductor is a trace in a printed circuit board circuit.

12. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , wherein said conductor is a bus bar.

13. The current sensor system as in claim 1 , being a coreless sensor system.

14. An integrated circuit for sensing a current, comprising:
a substrate having an active surface and a back surface,
one or more magnetic sensing elements disposed in or on the active surface of the substrate,
a processing circuit disposed in or on the active surface of the substrate and arranged to process signals received from the one or more magnetic sensing elements to derive an output signal indicative of a current sensed by the one or more magnetic sensing elements,
a housing,
a plurality of leads each having an outer lead portion extending outside the housing and an inner lead portion,
electrical connections between each of the plurality of leads and the active surface of the substrate,
wherein the back surface of the substrate is disposed on a support formed by at least two inner lead portions of the plurality of leads and the active side of the substrate is oriented towards the outer ends of the outer lead portions of the leads in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the support.

15. The integrated circuit as in claim 14 , wherein said support comprises a die paddle with at least one opening.

16. The integrated circuit as in claim 14 , wherein said die paddle is made of non-conductive material.

17. An integrated circuit for sensing a current, comprising:
a substrate having an active surface and a back surface,
one or more magnetic sensing elements disposed in or on the active surface of the substrate,
a processing circuit disposed in or on the active surface of the substrate and arranged to process signals received from the one or more magnetic sensing elements to derive an output signal indicative of a current sensed by the one or more magnetic sensing elements,
a housing,
a plurality of leads having an outer lead portion extending outside the housing and an inner lead portion,
electrical connections between the plurality of leads and the active surface of the substrate,
wherein the back surface of the substrate is disposed on a support formed by the inner lead portions of at least two discrete leads of the plurality of leads and the active side of the substrate is oriented towards the outer ends of the outer lead portions of the leads in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the support.

Assignees

• Melexis Tech Sa

Inventors

• Barbut Lucian
• Houis Simon
• Tombez Lionel
• Vangerven Tim

Classifications

• G01R15/202 Primary

  using Hall-effect devices (Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08) · CPC title

• G01R15/205

  using magneto-resistance devices, e.g. field plates · CPC title

• G01R15/207

  Constructional details independent of the type of device used · CPC title

• H05K1/0213

  Electrical arrangements not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H05K1/181

  associated with surface mounted components · CPC title