Micronas has launched the HAL 36xy family with their HAL 3625 Hall-effect sensor based on Micronas’ 3D-Hall technology and equipped with vertical Hall elements. This technology allows rotation angles from 0° to 360° to be detected directly with minimum measuring efforts and is available through Glyn High-Tech Distribution .
Unlike Hall sensors, which use one Hall element to measure at one level only (Z-axis), the new technology enables the detection of an additional X and Y axis. Combining different axes and using the appropriate signal processing, a so-called 3D Hall sensor has been realized. The vertical Hall-effect sensors can be manufactured in a standard CMOS process without additional post-processing, delivering products with quality and reliability, especially for the demanding automotive market.
The HAL 36xy product family includes several versions which will differ in a number of characteristics and properties. The first member of this family offered by Micronas will be the HAL 3625 which delivers a ratiometric output format.
The 3D Hall sensor HAL 3625 features integrated signal processing and is suited to applications that call for ultimate reliability or if operation at high ambient temperatures is intended.
Peter Zimmermann, Director Marketing at Micronas explained "The HAL 3625 is suitable for use in automobiles for any type of valves, TPS, EGR, turbo chargers, steering angles and so on, but also for home appliances, for instance for selector switches and for out-of-balance detection in white goods. Used in industrial automation engineering, the sensor can be combined with every kind of actuator. With the HAL 3625, Micronas targets customers such as OEMs, integrators and engineering offices".
The Hall sensor will be available in the SOIC8 package and aims for the temperature range TJ = –40 °C to +170 °C. Samples in the SOIC8 package will be available after the third quarter of 2009. There is also the option of supplying customers only with the silicon dies.