Sensors and Actuators A 91 (2001) 26

Magnetic sensors for automotive applications

C.P.O. Treutler
Robert Bosch GmbH, Corporate Research and Development, Research 1, Physical Technologies,
Deptartment of FV/FLT, P.O. Box 106050, D-70049 Stuttgart, Germany

Abstract

Magnetic sensors offer several key advantages: they allow contactless and, consequently, wear-free measurement of mechanical
quantities like angle of rotation and angular speed. They are robust and inexpensive to manufacture.
As one example of magnetic sensors in production at Robert Bosch GmbH, the steering wheel sensor LWS3 is shown, developed for the
electronic stability program (ESP), which prevents vehicles from spinning. We recently demonstrated, that the inherent limitation of the
AMR-effect to an 1808 angular range can be overcome by using a switchable magnetic eld generated inside the sensor element.
For a new generation of magnetic sensors, the technology of giant magneto-resistance (GMR) thin lm systems promises several
advantages like larger working distances, more precise angular position measurement in a wider range (up to 3608), smaller and therefore
cheaper sensor chips and economic system solutions due to the higher signal output.
A GMR multilayer system of CoCu/Cu was developed, which fullls the requirement of having no hysteresis in the magneto-resistive
characteristics. On the other hand, research is still going on for sensitive GMR layers, which are stable at temperatures of 2008C (or more)
for long time periods of at least 500 h. Thin lm systems of spin valve type, used in read heads for disc drives, have been thoroughly
evaluated about whether they can be used in sensors for automotive applications.
The great challenge is to generate GMR thin lm systems which cover a much wider range of features than the existing technologies of
Hall and AMR and which can be produced at lower cost. Only versatile GMR sensors will lead to high production volumes, which are
needed for a cost efcient fabrication as in other modern micro technologies. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Magnetic sensors; Automotive applications; Giant magneto-resistance (GMR)

1. Introduction magneto-resistance (AMR) elements, new ``active'' sensors

Future automotive electronic systems will further
improve driver safety, as well as comfort, engine efciency
and performance. The strongly increasing application of
these systems will create a strong demand for reliable, high
performance, and low cost sensors, leading to the develop-
ment of new technologies. Magnetic sensors offer several
key advantages: they allow contactless and, consequently,
wear-free measurement of mechanical quantities like angle
of rotation and angular speed. They are robust and inexpen-
sive to manufacture [1].
2. Sensor types and technologies
First anti-lock brake systems used simple inductive coil
sensors to measure the wheel speed (variable reluctance
sensors). On the basis of Hall-effect- or anisotropic
E-mail address: christoph.treutler@de.bosch.com (C.P.O. Treutler).
allow close-to-zero speed measurement, and deliver addi-
tional information like stand still detection and direction of
rotation. Furthermore, the technology of giant magneto-
resistance (GMR) materials currently under development
offers higher signals, which are easier to evaluate, and new
cost saving concepts, devices with larger tting tolerances,
for example.
2.1. Wheel speed sensors, and incremental position sensors
This type of sensor delivers a dened number of counts
per turn of a rotating axis. Typically, a magnetic multipole
wheel is used in order to create a periodically varying
magnetic eld. Another possibility is to use a gear wheel
made of ferromagnetic material and an external magnet. The
eld is detected by a magnetic sensor and then converted
into the speed of rotation, as shown in Fig. 1. Typical
applications are wheel speed sensors for the anti-lock brake
system, vehicle dynamics control, etc. speed and position
sensors for engine control, as well as incremental angular
encoders for various applications.

0924-4247/01/$ see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 9 2 4 - 4 2 4 7 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 6 2 1 - 5
 C.P.O. Treutler / Sensors and Actuators A 91 (2001) 26
Fig. 1. Principle of wheel speed sensor/incremental position sensor.
2.2. Angle of rotation sensors, derived quantities
These sensors measures the absolute angular position.
They can be applied in almost all cases where wear affected
potentiometric techniques are used today. Examples are
pedal position, engine control (e.g. throttle valve position,
crankshaft or camshaft angle), transmission control, active
suspension damper systems, head lamp leveling, fuel level
measurement, seat position and other applications. Several
mechanical quantities can be measured by transferring them
into a displacement signal, e.g. a torsion bar will convert the
engine's torque into a difference angle of two parts of the
shaft, which can be me measured by precise angle sensors.
Halls IC's can be used for this type of sensors only in
conjunction with a magnetic circuit that transforms position
into magnetic eld strength. The directional sensitivity of
the AMR-effect can be used to directly determine the
direction of a magnetic eld of a magnet being rotated,
resulting in a very simple mechanical arrangement of an
angle of rotation sensor as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Principle of angular sensor attrition-free potentiometer.
3
Fig. 3. Sensing principle of 3608 AMR element with switched auxiliary
fields on chip.
We recently showed [2], that the inherent limitation of the
AMR-effect to an 1808 angular range can be overcome by
using a switchable magnetic eld generated inside the sensor
element (Fig. 3). The signal changes of Vcos and Vsin due to
the small auxiliary eld BA generated by planar coils can be
used to determine if the angle of the external eld is in the
range of 01808 or in the range of 1803608. The required
intensity of the auxiliary eld is determined on one hand by
the maximum external eld and on the other hand by thermal
effects. This means that the intensity must be high enough to
generate detectable signal changes by the angular modula-
tion but should be as low as possible to avoid additional
thermal induced signal changes. The inuence of the aux-
iliary elds on the phase of the signal can be optimized by
the angle of the auxiliary elds to each other. As current
samples show, a signal change below 1% of the signal
amplitude is high enough to perfectly determine the range
of the external eld. Furthermore, the accuracy of the angle
sensing over the whole 3608 measuring range is the same as
for 1808 sensing with conventional AMR IC's.
Such a modied AMR IC, called an AMR360, plus an
evaluation circuit are used for the modular steering angle
sensors which are mounted onto the steering gear (Fig. 4).
In future, GMR sensor chips may measure these angular
positions. GMR technology promises high signal and an
inherent 3608 angular range allowing a simple sensor struc-
ture and electronic circuitry. Additionally, due to the rather
low magnetic eld needed for a direct angular measurement,
mechanical set-up can be further simplied and high pre-
cision position sensors based on magnetic scales can be
realized.
3. Sensors for automotive applications
For automotive applications, versatile sensors are
required which have good accuracy, high functionality
4 C.P.O. Treutler / Sensors and Actuators A 91 (2001) 26
Fig. 4. Design study for modular steering angle sensor LWS3.
and safe operation under harsh environmental conditions:
temperatures from 40 to 1508C, temperature shock,
moisture and salt fog or even use in motor oil, mechanical
vibration and acceleration values of up to 200 times of the
acceleration due to gravity.
One example of magnetic sensors in production at Robert
Bosch GmbH is the steering wheel sensor LWS3, developed
for the electronic stability program (ESP), which prevents
vehicles from spinning. The absolute measuring covers a
range of 15608 (4.3 turns) with a resolution of 0.18. The
sensor has a true-power-on function, i.e. immediately after
switching on, the absolute angle value is measured correctly
without moving the steering wheel.
The calibration of zero position can be done electronically
via CAN interface and a continuous self-test is performed.
The operation principle is shown in Fig. 5. The steering
Fig. 5. Steering wheel angle sensor LWS3 with two AMR elements.
column drives two gear wheels with magnets. The angular
position of those gear wheels is measured by two AMR
elements. Due to different numbers of teeth, the gear wheels
move at different speeds. The combination of both measured
angular positions allows to calculate the total steering wheel
angle over the range of 4.3 turns. By the help of a special
mathematical algorithm, it is possible to improve accuracy,
correct errors and check the operation. A dedicated ASIC,
designed for the LWS3-sensor, enables a high degree of
integration of the evaluation electronics and a cost efcient
production of this sensor.
4. GMR technology
For a new generation of magnetic sensors, the technology
of GMR thin lm systems is under development at the Bosch
company. The expected advantages of future GMR sensors
are larger working distances, more precise angular position
measurement in a wider range (up to 3608), smaller and
therefore cheaper sensor chips and economic system solu-
tions due to the higher signal output. Within a project
``magneto-electronics'', publicly funded by the German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF),
two different material systems exhibiting GMR-effect are
considered for automotive applications.
4.1. Multilayer systems
Starting from Co/Cu, a new multilayer system of CoCu/
Cu was developed, which fullls the requirement of having
no hysteresis in the magneto-resistive characteristics (see
Figs. 6 and 7). Unfortunately degradation of this system
starts at about 1508C. Research is still going on for highly
Fig. 6. GMR system with 20 bilayers of CoCu/Cu.
 C.P.O. Treutler / Sensors and Actuators A 91 (2001) 26
Fig. 7. CoCu/Cu multilayer system with no hysteresis in comparison with
Co/Cu.
sensitive GMR layers, which are stable at temperatures of
2008C (or more) for long time periods of at least 500 h. A
good candidate is the CoFe/Cu system (AFM) which was
found to have low hysteresis, high sensitivity and long term
stability up to 2008C.
Multilayer systems can be used, e.g. for wheel speed
sensors. A typical arrangement is that of a Wheatstone
bridge gradiometer, consisting of four magneto-resistors
as shown in Fig. 8. As the two half bridges are spaced apart
by a distance d, this device is sensitive to spatial gradients of
the magnetic eld and delivers an offset-free signal. The
spacing d has to be adapted, e.g. to the pole wheel used in the
sensor.
Fig. 8. GMR gradiometer; above: Wheatstone bridge circuit and
arrangement of the GMR resistors on the chip; below: sensor layout.
5
4.2. Spin valves
Thin lm systems of spin valve type, used in read heads
for disc drives, have been thoroughly evaluated about
whether they can be used in sensors for automotive applica-
tions. Spin valves basically consist of two magnetic layers
separated by an intermediate non-magnetic layer, in general
copper. In contrast to the multilayer systems, one magnetic
layer has a pinned orientation of magnetization (reference
layer) and is coupled only weakly to the second magnetic
layer (sensing layer) by appropriate choice of the thickness
of the copper layer. Pinning is usually achieved by deposi-
tion of an anti-ferromagnetic material, e.g. NiO, adjacent to
the reference layer. Deposition is done under an applied
magnetic eld. In order to improve the pinning, there may be
additionally a three-layer system coupled in the rst AFM
between the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pinned layer.
The magneto-resistive characteristics of a spin valve
based on FeMn as anti-ferromagnetic layer is shown in
Fig. 9. The rst slope of the curve at low elds is due to
rotation of the sensing layer, the second slope at higher elds
due to a rotation of the reference layer. The eld strength
where rotation of the reference layer occurs is often referred
to as exchange bias eld, Hex. If we look a the magneto-
resistance as a function of the direction of the eld, we
obtain the sinusoidal characteristics shown in Fig. 10. In a
certain eld range below Hex, this characteristics is inde-
pendent of the eld strength, making spin valve systems well
suited for angular sensors. In contrast to the AMR-effect, a
directional measurement using a eld of only some mT is
possible and the signal has a period of 3608.
For practical applications, the sensor element will be in a
Wheatstone bridge arrangement in order to obtain an offset-
free signal. In this case, we need at least two opposite
directions of the reference layer for the two half-bridges,
in order to obtain a signal from the bridge in a homogeneous
eld (Fig. 11). This has been achieved by a two-fold
deposition of the spin valve system, where the magnetic
Fig. 9. The magneto-resistive characteristics of a spin valve based on
FeMn as anti-ferromagnetic layer.
6 C.P.O. Treutler / Sensors and Actuators A 91 (2001) 26
Fig. 10. The sensor signal depending on the strength of the magnetic field.
eld during deposition is rotated during the second deposi-
tion and an intermediate lift-off step. Fig. 12 shows, that by
this method, opposite reference directions on a small scale
can be obtained.
For automotive applications, important parameters of the
spin valve system are
 exchange bias must be large enough even for temperatures
over 1508C;
 the operating window for an angular measurement, i.e. the
field range, where the resistance depends only on the
direction of the applied field;
 as for the multilayer system, the system has to withstand
temperatures of about 2008C for a long time.
Fig. 11. Schematic layout of a angle sensor.
Fig. 12. Opposite reference-magnetization by two-fold deposition.
5. Discussion and conclusions
The growing market for established and new automotive
electronic systems (``mechatronics'', ranging from engine
management or new electronic brake actuators to future
systems like ``steer-by-wire'' electric steering without
steering column) will demand a variety of new position
sensors. This is an expanding eld for robust magnetic
sensors and a big chance for the use of GMR materials.
However, GMR technology has to compete with existing
technologies like Hall- and AMR-elements. Therefore, the
great challenge is to generate GMR thin lm systems which
cover a much wider range of features than these existing
technologies and which can be produced at lower cost. Only
versatile GMR sensors will lead to high production volumes,
which are needed for a cost efcient fabrication as in other
modern micro technologies.
References
[1] E. Zabler, R. Dietz, A. Dukart, F. Jost, K. Marx, Beruhrungslose Weg-
und Winkelsensoren fur das Kraftfahrzeug auf magnetischer Basis,
VDI Berichte, Nr. 1255, 171ff, 1996.
[2] U. Caduff, H. Schweren, H. Kittel, Low Cost Angle Sensor for Multi-
purpose Applications, in: Proceedings of the SAE-Conference,
Detroit, USA, 69 March 2000.
Biography
C.P.O. Treutler studied physics at the Technical University of Dresden,
Germany and received the PhD degree from the Academy of Science of
German Democratic Republic in 1981. He joint Robert Bosch GmbH in
Stuttgart in 1986 and developed thin film technologies for rf-hybrids and
for micro systems including sensors and electronic packages. Since 1996,
Dr. Treutler has been head of Department ``Physical Technologies'' within
Corporate Research and Development of Bosch. Main fields of activities
are ceramic multilayer technology, magneto-resistive (AMR, GMR) thin
film sensors, PVD technologies and thin film coatings protecting against
wear and corrosion.