Offset-reduced hall element

US6727563B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Peter Hohe · Heiligenstadt, DE
• Josef Sauerer · Herzogenaurach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 30, 2002
• Grant date: Apr 27, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 30, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/07
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A Hall element comprises a region having a non-zero Hall constant, a first contact for supplying an operating current to the region, a third contact for conducting the operating current from the region, the first and third contacts defining a direction of the operating current within the region, a second and a fourth contact for tapping a Hall voltage, and a conductor pattern connected to the first contact or to the third contact and substantially surrounding the region laterally or being arranged above or below the region. The conductor pattern has the effect that the intrinsic field of the operating current through the Hall element is suppressed outside the Hall element such that the Hall element effects an at least reduced offset in adjacent Hall elements. In addition thereto, the arrangement of the conductor pattern has the effect that effects of the current return on the Hall voltage generated by the Hall element itself are also at least reduced. An offset reduction is possible simultaneously on an element, by way of suitable implementation, also for both operating current directions in a spinning-current operating mode.