Hall Effect in Semiconductors

PH5XX
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Department of Physics
2014

1 Objective
To measure the Hall coefficient in both P & N type semiconductors.

2 Theory
When a conductor (o ra semiconductor) is placed in a magnetic field, which is perpendicular to the
direction of the current, a voltage is induced across the specimen in the direction perpendicular to
both the current and the magnetic field. The reason behind the build up of this voltage is because
the moving charges are forced to one side of the specimen by the applied magnetic field. The charges
accumulate on a face of the specimen until the electric field associated with them is large enough
to cancel the force exerted by the magnetic field. This corresponds to the steady state condition
for that value of the applied magnetic field. We are concerned only with the steady state condition.
Besides being proportional to the magnetic field, the hall voltage is also proportional the applied
current and depends on the nature and the shape of the sample as well. However, if these factors
are kept constant the Hall voltage is an accurate measure of the magnetic field.

The basic physical principle underlying the Hall effect is the Lorentz force. For an electron e
~ & magnetic field the force experienced by
moving with a velocity ~v in the influence of electron field E
~ ~ ~
the particle is given by F = e[E +~v B]. Where ~v is the particle velocity and e = (1.6021019 C)
this force is termed as Lorentz force. For an n-type, bar-shaped semiconductor such as that shown
in Fig.1, the carriers are predominately electrons of bulk density n. We assume that a constant
current I flows along the x-axis from left to right in the presence of a z-directed magnetic field.
Electrons subject to the Lorentz force initially drift away from the current direction toward the
negative y-axis, resulting in an excess negative surface electrical charge on this side of the sample.
This charge results in the Hall voltage, a potential drop across the two sides of the sample. (Note
that the force on holes is toward the same side because of their opposite velocity and positive
charge.) This transverse voltage is the Hall voltage VH and its magnitude is equal to IB/qnd,
where I is the current, B is the magnetic field, d is the sample thickness, and q = (1.602 1019 C)
is the elementary charge. In some cases, it is convenient to use layer or sheet density (ns = nd)
instead of bulk density. One then obtains the equation ns = IB/q|VH |

1
Figure 1: Schematic of the Hall effect in a long, thin bar of semiconductor with four ohmic contacts.
The direction of the magnetic field B is along the z-axis and the sample has a finite thickness d.

The Lorentz force on a charge carrier is

F~ = e(E
~ + ~v xB)
~ (1)
The steady state Hall electric field in the Y-direction is given by the condition
Fy = e(Ey vx Bz ) = 0 (2)
For the given geometry. Thus Ey = vx Bz but the conductivity = ne where n is the carrier
concentration and is the mobility of the charge species, i.e. velocity per unit field. So s = nev
ex
x

o r sEx = nevx gives the current density Jx along x direction. Substituting vx = Jnex we have
Ey = Jx Bz is called the Hall coefficient.
1
RH = (3)
ne
The Hall coefficient can take both positive and negative values depending on the type of charge
holes and electron respectively. Besides the concentration of the charge carriers the thickness of
the sample also affects the hall voltage, lower the carrier concentration and thinner the specimen
the higher is the Hall voltage. The external variables magnetic field and the sample current. Hall
voltage is given by.
Ey
VH = (4)
w
Where w is the distance between Hall voltage probes, i.e. the width of the sample, we have
RH IBz VH d
VH = orRH = (5)
d IBz

2
 where d is the thickness of the specimen in the direction of the magnetic field. Solving for Bz
we get
VH d
Bz = (6)
RH I

Figure 2: Experimental set-up

3 Experimental Set-up
The Hall effect probe consists of InAs film with four electrically attached conductive leads. The
film is 500 nm thick and is covered with a protective epoxy resin. The film and its conductive leads
are mounted on a plastic handle. The electrical probes in the sample are shown in figure (3)
Make the connections as shown in figure 4. Switches are provided to revere both the sample
current and the magnet field. The Hal voltage developed depends on the angle between the
magnetic field and the normal to the plane of the film. It is maximum when theta= 180o or0o for
a sample current (say 1A) rotate the probe using the protractor arrangement till VH is maximum.
Do not exceed the sample current beyond 2.5 A or you will burn the hall probe, Switch off the
current when not making measurement

3
 sample.JPG

4 Experiments to be performed
Measurement of RH and B :- The measured Hall voltage VH is a function of B and I for a
given specimen (i.e. given d and RH ). In practice, thermal and misalignment voltages are
superimposed on the Hall voltage and some times become comparable. To minimize the error
form the thermal and misalignment voltages one has to reverse the direction of sample current
and magnetic field respectively and calculate VH using the relation
1
VH = [VH (B, I) V (B, I) VH (B, I) VH (B, I)] (7)
4

Keeping I at any convenient value ( 2.5 mA) aet the magnet current to a value certain value
I1 and measure VH (B, I) where B is the magnetic field corresponding to magnet current I1 .
Then reverse the direction of sample current I and measure VH (B, I). Repeat the above
two observations after reversing the direction of the magnet current and get VH (B, I) and
VH (B, I). Follow this sequence by varying I1 from 0 to 1.5 A in steps of 0.1 A. Repeat this
procedure for at least three values of the sample current I (1, 105, 2.0 mA) par Plot VH Vs B
(use magnet calibration curve). From the slope (Eq 6), knowing I and D, find RH and hence
calculate carrier concentration n (Eq 3). Knowing n one can use the magnet calibration
graph to find out any unknown B.
Rotation of the probe The Hall voltage depends on the angle between the magnetic field
and the normal to plane of the sample. It is maximum when is 0o or180o . For a given value
of the magnetic field and the sample current, measure VH (by taking all four combinations of
B and I) as a function of . Plot VH vs comment on the shape of the curve.

5 Procedure
1. Connect the width wise contacts of the Hall Probe to the terminals marked Voltage and
lengthwise contacts to terminals marked Current.

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 2. Switch ON the Hall Effect set-up and adjustment current (say few mA).
3. Switch over the display to voltage side. There m ay be some voltage reading even outside the
magnetic field. This is due to imperfect alignment of the four contacts of the Hall Probe and
is generally known as the Zero field Potential. In case its value is comparable to the Hall
Voltage it should be adjusted to a minimum possible (for Hall Probe (Ge) only). In all cases,
this error should b e subtracted from the Hall Voltage reading.
4. Now place the probe in the magnetic field as shown in fig. 3 and switch on the electromagnet
power supply and adjust the current t o any desired value. Rotate the Hall probe till it
become perpendicular to magnetic field. Hall voltage will be maximum in this adjustment.
5. Measure Hall voltage for both the directions of the current and magnetic field (i.e. four
observations for a particular value of current and magnetic field).
6. Measure the Hall voltage as a function of current keeping the magnetic field constant. Plot a
graph.
7. Measure the Hall voltage as a function of magnet ic field keeping a suitable value of current
as constant. Plot graph.
8. Measure the magnetic field by the Gauss meter.

6 Questions
1. If you can not get InAs film ass used in this experiment what easily available would you use
to demonstrate Hall effect? would you choose a metallic sample? why?
2. Why do you reverse both the sample and magnet current in this experiment?
3. Why is it advantageous to have a thin sample in Hall effect measurement?

4. What information do you get about a solid from Hall effect measurement? What are the
applications of Hall effect in instrumentation?
5. Why the resistance of the sample increases with the increase of magnetic field?
6. Why the Hall voltage should be measured for both the directions of current as well as of
magnetic field?
7. A relativistic particle of mass m and charge q with initial velocity ~vo is moving in the influence
~ &B
of cross field E ~ fields, say (E
~ = Exi)&(B~ = Bz z). What will be the trajectory of the
particle ?
8. what will be the trajectory of a non relativistic charged particle ?

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7 References
C. Kittel Introduction to solid state Physics
W.Angrist, Scientific American
E.M.Putley The Hal Effect and Related Phenomenon
Fundamentals of semiconductor Devices, J.Lindmayer and C.Y. Wrigley, Affiliated East-West
Press Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

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 APPENDIX

1. Sample Details

(a) Sample : InAs thin film

(b) Thickness (z) : 5X102 cm.
(c) Resistivity (r) : 10 ohm. cm. or 10 volt coulomb1 sec cm
(d) Conductivity (s) : 0.1 coulomb volt1 sec1 cm1