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CHAPTER – 3 SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS

Session 4 : Hall Effect

HALL EFFECT :

If a metal or semiconductor carrying a current I is placed in a transverse magnetic field B, an

electric field E is induced in the direction perpendicular to both the direction of current and
magnetic field. This phenomenon is called as Hall Effect. The electric field produced is called as
Hall field.

Consider a rectangular plate of n-type semiconductor. Let I be the current flowing through this
plate in X-direction. This plate is kept in the magnetic field B acting along Z-direction. This
induces electric field E along negative Y direction. The reason behind this electric field is the
magnetic force acts on the electrons in vertically downwards direction. This makes lower surface
of the plate at negative potential with respect to the upper surface and the potential difference VH
is produced across the plate as shown in Fig.

EH
d +
X
VH
B
w I Hall Effect
-

The current through the semiconductor is given by –

I  neAv -----------------(1)
where n is concentration of electrons,
A is area of cross section of the plate,
e is charge on the electron,
v is average drift velocity of electrons.

At equilibrium,
electric force on electrons = magnetic force on electrons
e EH = e v B -----------------(2)
VH
where E H  is the Hall field, VH is called as the Hall voltage.
d
Thus,

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VH  E H d
 vB d from (2)
Bn e vd
 multiply and divide by ne
ne
B I d
 from equation (1)
neA
BId w BIA
  multiply and divide by w
neAw neAw

BI BI
 VH   RH -----------------(3)
new w
where,
1 V w V dw V 1 A E
RH   H  H  H  H is called as Hall coefficient. ---(4)
ne BI d BI d B I BJ

Hall coefficient is defined as the Hall field per unit magnetic induction per unit current density.

Importance of Hall Effect is that it helps –

(i) To determine carrier concentration. From equation (3) if VH, B, I, w are known ‘n’ can be
calculated.

(ii) To determine type of the semiconductor. For n-type semiconductor direction of EH is

vertically downward and that for p-type semiconductor will be vertically upward.

(iii)To determine mobility  of the charge carriers if conductivity of the conductor /

semiconductor is known.

1. n-type Ge sample has donor concentration 1021/m3 and thickness = 3 mm is used in a

Hall effect experiment set up. If B = 0.5 T, J = 500 A/m3, Find Hall voltage.

Soln: Given : n = ND = 1021 /m3

d = 3 x 10-3 m
B = 0.5 Wb/m2
J = 500 A/m3
BI BId BJd
VH   
new ne wd ne
3
0.5  500  3  10
  4.68  10 3 volts
10 21  1.6  10 19

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2. In a Hall effect experiment, a potential difference of 4.5 μ V is developed across a foil

of zinc of thickness 0.02 mm, when a current of 1.5 A is carrying in a direction
perpendicular to applied magnetic field of 2 tesla. Calculate a) Hall coefficient for zinc
b) concentration of electrons.
Given : VH  4.5 V  4.5  10 -6 volts,
thickness , w  0.02 mm  0.02  10 -3 m,
I  1.5 A, B  2 tesla
1 VH w
Hall coefficient  R H  
ne BI
3
4.5 10  0.02 10
-6
  3 10-11 m 3 / C
2 1.5
BI
Concentration of electrons  n 
VH e w
2 1.5

4.5 10 1.6 10 19  0.02 10 3
6

 2.083 10 29 / m 3

3. Calculate the current produced in a germanium sample of cross-section 1 cm2 and

thickness of 0.01 m when a potential difference of 2V is applied across it. Given- The
concentration of free electrons in germanium is 2 x 1019 /m3 and mobility of electrons
and holes are 0.36 m2/volt sec and 0.17 m2/volt sec respectively.

Ge
A = 1 cm 2 = 10 -4 m2
sample

t = 0.01 m

V=2V

v
Current produced , I  n e v A  n e  E A as  
E
V
 ne A
t
2
 2  1019  1.6  10 19  0.36   10 4
0.01
 23.04  10 -3 Amp  23.04 mA

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