Patent ID: 7298140

Claim:
A three-dimensional magnetic bearing sensor including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor each constituted by a magneto-impedance sensor element comprising a magnetic sensitive member having a characteristic changed responsive to an external magnetic field, an insulator formed to allow penetration of said magnetic sensitive member therethrough, and an electromagnetic coil made up of foil-like conductive patterns arranged in adjacent relation on an outer surface of said insulator, wherein said first sensor, said second sensor, and said third sensor are disposed such that directions in which said magnetic sensitive members in respective sensors have maximum magnetic field detection sensitivities are substantially orthogonal to each other, wherein each of said first sensor, said second sensor, and said third sensor comprises an electrode-wiring substrate having an elongate groove formed therein as a recessed groove, first conductive patterns which are disposed on an inner peripheral surface of said elongate groove to extend across the groove-running direction of said elongate groove and each of which has opposite ends extended to position on the surface of said electrode-wiring substrate, said insulator filled in said elongate groove in a state that an amorphous wire serving as said magnetic sensitive member penetrates said insulator, and second conductive patterns disposed on an outer surface of said insulator in bridging relation to said elongate groove, and wherein said electromagnetic coil is a combination of one coil portion constituted by each of said first conductive patterns and the other coil portion constituted by each of said second conductive patterns and electrically connecting respective corresponding ends of said first conductive patterns adjacent to each other.