Performance Comparison of Cross-Like Hall Plates with Different Covering Layers

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of the covering layers on the performance of a cross-like Hall plate. Three different structures of a cross-like Hall plate in various sizes are designed and analyzed. The Hall plate sensitivity and offset are characterized using a self-built measurement system. The effect of the P-type region over the active area on the current-related sensitivity is studied for different Hall plate designs. In addition, the correlation between the P-type covering layer and offset is analyzed. The best structure out of three designs is determined. Besides, a modified eight-resistor circuit model for the Hall plate is presented with improved accuracy by taking the offset into account.

Influences of an Aluminum Covering Layer on the Performance of Cross-Like Hall Devices

“…From the results of a recent paper [ 20 ], the P-type covering layer benefits the current-related sensitivity, because of the decreased thickness of the active region, so in the aspect of the current-related sensitivity, the aluminum covering is not a recommendable method to reduce the flicker noise and to improve the stability of a Hall sensor.…”

“…It is obvious that the aluminum layer leads to a additional depletion region, which will increase the offset voltage, so S1 and S2 without covering aluminum are much better than S3 and S4 in the offset voltage aspect. In the method mentioned in [ 20 ], a P-type layer is formed above the N-type region. Therefore, one more process with the mask misalignment is necessary in the active region.…”

“…The measurement equipment used has been introduced in another recent paper of the authors [ 20 ] and is shown in Figure 3 . An Eastchanging 50110 instrument (East Changing Technologies, Inc., Beijing, China) is responsible for applying a current to the electromagnet and a magnetic field we need appears at the center of electromagnet.…”

“…For a cross-like Hall sensor, the most frequently used method in the design of the sensor to reduce the flicker noise [ 18 ] and to improve the stability of the Hall sensor [ 19 ] is by covering a P-type region or a metal layer on the active region of the Hall sensor. Our previous work has analyzed the sensitivity and offset of Hall sensors using the P-type region [ 20 ]. The intention of the present paper is to study the effects of the covering metal layer on the sensitivity and offset of the cross-like Hall sensor.…”

Application of silicon micro hall sensors in variable temperature scanning hall probe microscopy (SHPM) using multiple feedback techniques

“…where is the current related sensitivity. can be calculated from Hall coefficient, , as ≜ − 1 (Xu et al, 2011;Popovic, 2004;Lyu et al, 2015;Boero et. al., 2003).…”