Simultaneous measurement of two magnetic field components using a U-shaped cantilever device

A miniaturized sensor capable of measuring simultaneously two orthogonal components of the magnetic flux density is presented. These components excite two different oscillation modes of a single micromachined U-shaped cantilever which bears a thin film lead. The cantilever movements are accomplished by the Lorentz-force acting on the electrical current. The lead on the cantilever operates also as a deflecting mirror in an optical readout system which detects the oscillations of the cantilever. By means of two lock-in amplifiers, the output of the readout is converted into two signals proportional to the magnetic flux densities. The feasibility of the system is proved by contour plots of two sample magnets.