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MagnaChip Licenses Magnetic and Current Measuring Tech from SENIS

June 16, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation has signed a patent license agreement with SENIS AG, a manufacturer of magnetic field and current measurement instruments based in Zug, Switzerland. With the agreement, MagnaChip acquires the right to use a portfolio of SENIS' patents covering magnetic field and current measurement technologies in its sensor products. MagnaChip expects the agreement to significantly strengthen the company's existing initiatives in sensors and allow development of sensor solutions for new industrial and consumer applications.

"We are pleased to reach a strategic alliance agreement with SENIS AG, a company that we have previously collaborated with in a close partnership," said YJ Kim, interim CEO of MagnaChip and General Manager of MagnaChip's Display Solutions Division. "With access to SENIS' high performance magnetic field and current measurement technology, we expect to accelerate development of differentiated sensor solutions for our customers, particularly in industrial applications."

The SENIS CS series of current sensors is the latest new product from the company. It offers low current sensing with high voltage isolation capability. The SENIS CS sensor incorporates the Melexis MLX91206 high sensitivity Hall IC and a multi-turn coil to further Increase sensitivity. Typical applications include process control and laboratory equipment, and so on. Due to its design the CS sensor can be used in any application that requires continuous current sensing (no time limit). Features of the CS series include: Low current - four ranges (0.1A to 8A); High voltage isolation > 4KV; Linear analog voltage Output; and Accuracy <2% of full scale.

SENIS AG develops, manufactures and provides to its clients advanced instruments for magnetic field measurement and electric current measurement as well as the corresponding development and engineering services. SENIS GmbH was founded in February 2004 as a spin-off of SENTRON AG to further develop and market magnetic field sensors and measuring instruments, mainly invented by Dr. R. Popovic, a professor at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne/ETH, Switzerland). To exploit the application of the magnetic sensor technology to electric current measurement, the electric current sensor business of Ametes AG was merged with SENIS GmbH in 2011. At the same time, the company changed its corporate form to become SENIS AG