INITIAL FABRICATION OF A MICRO-INDUCTION GYROSCOPE

A planar coil design capable of levitating an aluminium rotor by elect romagnetic induction is described. The coil is fabricated from Au onto a Si(001) substrate with a footprint size of 700 mu m, and coil thick ness and typical width of 1.3 mu m and 50 mu m respectively. The rotor s are made from Al with a thickness of 12 mu m and diameter of 400 mu m. A maximum levitation height of 10 mu m is measured with a coil exci tation current of 800 mA(pk). This height is increased to 25 mu m by t he incorporation of a high permeability amorphous magnetic backing pla ne below the planar coils. Excellent quantitative agreement is observe d between the predictions of modelling and experimental measurements o f levitation height versus coil excitation current. The application of this levitated rotor to a wide range of applications, including a mic romachined rotating gyroscope is described.