Current sensor substrate and current sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448256-B2
Application number	US-201214131723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2012
Priority date	Jul 13, 2011
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

It is intended to reduce manufacturing cost in a current sensor including a primary conductor having a U-shaped current path. A current sensor includes a primary conductor having a U-shaped current path, a support portion for supporting a magneto-electric conversion element, and a lead terminal connected to the support portion, and wherein the current path is not overlapped with the support portion in a plan view, while being formed so as to have a height different from that of the support portion in a side view.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current sensor substrate, comprising:
a primary conductor having a U-shaped current path;
a support portion for supporting a magneto-electric conversion element; and
a lead terminal connected to the support portion,

wherein the U-shaped current path is not overlapped with the support portion in a plan view, while being formed so as to have a height different from a height of the support portion in a side view.

2. The current sensor substrate recited in claim 1 , wherein the lead terminal is connected to the support portion through a step.

3. The current sensor substrate recited in claim 1 , wherein the support portion has a cutout portion, and
the U-shaped current path is disposed in the cutout portion in a plan view.

4. The current sensor substrate recited in claim 1 , wherein the primary conductor has a step portion connected to the U-shaped current path.

5. The current sensor substrate recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnetic material disposed so as to be overlapped with the U-shaped current path in a plan view.

6. The current sensor substrate recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
a magnetic material disposed so as to sandwich the U-shaped current path.

7. A current sensor, comprising:
the current sensor substrate recited in claim 1 ; and
an IC chip disposed on the support portion of the current sensor substrate, the IC chip including a magneto-electric conversion element for detecting magnetic flux to be generated by electric current flowing through the U-shaped current path of the current sensor substrate.

8. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the magneto-electric conversion element is disposed inside the U-shape of the U-shaped current path in a plan view.

9. A current sensor, comprising:
the current sensor substrate recited in claim 5 ; and
an IC chip disposed on the support portion of the current sensor substrate, the IC chip including a magneto-electric conversion element for detecting magnetic flux to be generated by electric current flowing through the current path of the current sensor substrate,

wherein the magneto-electric conversion element is disposed inside the U-shape of the U-shaped current path in a plan view.

10. The current sensor recited in claim 9 , wherein the magnetic material is formed on an opposite IC chip surface to an IC chip surface on which the U-shaped current path is disposed so as to either partially or entirely cover the magneto-electric conversion element.

11. The current sensor recited in claim 9 , wherein the magnetic material is formed on the support portion so as to be away from the primary conductor.

12. The current sensor recited in claim 9 , wherein the magnetic material is made of either a plated magnetic material or a magnetic chip.

13. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the IC chip is protruded from the support portion in a side view.

14. The current sensor recited in claim 13 , wherein the IC chip is overlapped with the current path in a plan view, and
the magneto-electric conversion element is disposed inside the U-shape of the U-shaped current path in a plan view.

15. The current sensor recited in claim 13 , wherein the IC chip is disposed away from the U-shaped current path at a predetermined interval in a side view.

16. The current sensor recited in claim 13 , wherein the primary conductor does not support the IC chip.

17. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the support portion of the current sensor substrate has a cutout portion, and
in a plan view, the U-shaped current path of the current sensor substrate is disposed in the cutout portion while being overlapped with the IC chip.

18. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the magneto-electric conversion element is a hole element.

19. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the IC chip further includes a second magneto-electric conversion element disposed in a position outside the U-shape of the current path and closer to the current path.

20. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , wherein the magneto-electric conversion element is either a hole IC including a signal processing circuit or a magnetic resistance IC including a signal processing circuit.

21. The current sensor recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
an insulator member formed between the primary conductor of the current sensor substrate and the IC chip.

22. The current sensor recited in claim 21 , wherein the insulator member is an insulator tape.

Assignees

• Suzuki Kenji
• Imajo Hideto
• Takagi Daigo
• Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp

Inventors

• Suzuki Kenji
• Imajo Hideto
• Takagi Daigo

Classifications

• H10W72/07653

  changes in shapes · CPC title

• H10W90/766

  between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink · CPC title

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• H10W72/871

  Bond wires and strap connectors · CPC title

• H10W72/5449

  not being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. fan-out arrangements · CPC title