Multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package

1. A position and orientation sensor package comprising:

a dielectric substrate comprising:

a first substrate portion positioned along a first plane; and

a second substrate portion positioned along a second plane orthogonal to the first plane;

a first magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the first substrate portion, the first magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit; and

a second magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the second substrate portion, the second magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit;

wherein the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit of the first magneto-resistance sensor chip is oriented in a different direction than the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit of the second magneto-resistance sensor chip;

wherein the dielectric substrate is bent at a location between the first magneto-resistance sensor chip and the second magneto-resistance sensor chip to define the first substrate portion and the second substrate portion; and

wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a plurality of electrical leads formed thereon and connected to the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to receive and transmit signals therefrom.

2. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 wherein the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips are attached to the dielectric substrate such that the orientation between the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit of each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips is known.

3. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 further comprising a third magneto-resistance sensor chip that is attached to the first substrate portion adjacent to the first magneto-resistance sensor chip, the third magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit, and wherein the third magneto-resistance sensor chip is aligned with the first magneto-resistance sensor chip along a lengthwise direction of the dielectric substrate.

4. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 3 wherein the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on each of the first, second, and third magneto-resistance sensor chips comprises a single magneto-resistance sensor circuit, with the first, second, and third magneto-resistance sensor chips forming a three-axis sensor package.

5. The multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package of claim 4 wherein each of a height and a width of the multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package is approximately 0.5 mm or less, based on each of the first, second, and third magneto-resistance sensor chips comprising a single magneto-resistance sensor circuit.

6. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 wherein the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on one or more of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips comprises:

a first magneto-resistance sensor circuit; and

a second magneto-resistance sensor circuit arranged orthogonal to the first magneto-resistance sensor circuit;

wherein the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips thus comprise two-axis sensor chips, such that the position and orientation sensor package comprises a three-axis sensor package.

7. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips comprises further comprises a calibration coil positioned a fixed distance from the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit, the calibration coil configured to generate a calibration magnetic field that provides for calibration of the respective magneto-resistance sensor chip.

8. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 further comprising a common calibration coil positioned a fixed distance from the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips, the common calibration coil configured to generate a calibration magnetic field that provides for calibration of each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips.

9. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a plurality of connection pads formed thereon and wherein each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips comprises a plurality of chip pads formed thereon; and

wherein the position and orientation sensor package further comprises a solder that joins respective chip pads of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to respective connection pads of the dielectric substrate via a flip chip attachment.

10. The position and orientation sensor package of claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate comprises one of an FR4, ceramic, or polyimide material.

11. The multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package of claim 1 wherein the dielectric substrate is bent along an entirety of a length thereof to define the first substrate portion and the second substrate portion.

12. The multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package of claim 1 wherein the first magneto-resistance sensor chip comprises a single magneto-resistance sensor circuit and the second magneto-resistance sensor chip comprises two magneto-resistance sensor circuits arranged orthogonal to one another, such that a width of the multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package is approximately 0.5 mm or less and a height of the multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package is approximately 1.0 mm or less.

13. A method of manufacturing a position and orientation sensor package comprising:

providing a dielectric substrate comprising a first substrate portion positioned along a first plane and a second substrate portion positioned along a second plane orthogonal to the first plane;

attaching a first magneto-resistance sensor chip to the to the first substrate portion of the dielectric substrate, the first magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit; and

attaching a second magneto-resistance sensor chip to the to the second substrate portion of the dielectric substrate, the second magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit;

wherein attaching the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to the dielectric substrate comprises attaching the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to the dielectric substrate to establish a known angle between the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit of the first magneto-resistance sensor chip and the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit of the second magneto-resistance sensor chip; and

wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a flexible substrate that is bent at a location between the first magneto-resistance sensor chip and the first magneto-resistance sensor chip, with the dielectric substrate comprising a plurality of electrical leads formed thereon and connected to the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to receive and transmit signals therefrom.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein attaching the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to the dielectric substrate comprises a flip-chip attachment of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips to the dielectric substrate, with a reflow-solder providing an electrical connection between chip pads of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips and connection pads of the dielectric substrate.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising attaching a third magneto-resistance sensor chip to the first substrate portion such that the third magneto-resistance sensor chip is aligned with the first magneto-resistance sensor chip along a lengthwise direction of the dielectric substrate, the third magneto-resistance sensor chip comprising at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit;

wherein the first, second, and third magneto-resistance sensor chips form a three-axis sensor package.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming a common calibration coil on the dielectric substrate, the common calibration coil being positioned a fixed distance from the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips, the common calibration coil configured to generate a calibration magnetic field that provides for calibration of each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips.

17. A multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package comprising:

a flex circuit comprising a dielectric substrate and conductive interconnects;

a first magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the dielectric substrate so as to be electrically coupled to the conductive interconnects; and

a second magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the dielectric substrate so as to be electrically coupled to the conductive interconnects;

wherein each of the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips comprises at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit, with the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips being attached to the flex circuit such that an orientation of the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on the first magneto-resistance sensor chip is different from an orientation of the at least one magneto-resistance sensor circuit on the second magneto-resistance sensor chip by a known angle; and

wherein the dielectric substrate is folded at a location between the first and second magneto-resistance sensor chips such that the flex circuit comprises a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion oriented orthogonal to one another, with the first magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the first substrate portion and the second magneto-resistance sensor chip attached to the second substrate portion.

18. The multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package of claim 17 further comprising a third magneto-resistance sensor chip aligned with the first magneto-resistance sensor chip along a lengthwise direction of the flex circuit, such that a width of the multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package is approximately equal to a width of the first and third magneto-resistance sensor chips.

19. The multi-axis magneto-resistance sensor package of claim 17 wherein the first and second substrate portions oriented orthogonal to one another form an L-shaped flex circuit.