Initial fabrication of a micro-induction gyroscope

A planar coil design capable of levitating an aluminium rotor by electromagnetic induction is described. The coil is fabricated from Au onto a Si(001) substrate with a footprint size of 700 mu m, and coil thickness and typical width of 1.3 mu m and 50 mu m respectively. The rotors 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 excitation current of 800 mA(pk). This height is increased to 25 mu m by the incorporation of a high permeability amorphous magnetic backing plane below the planar coils. Excellent quantitative agreement is observed between the predictions of modelling and experimental measurements of levitation height versus coil excitation current. The application of this levitated rotor to a wide range of applications, including a micromachined rotating gyroscope is described.