Method and device for sensing isotropic stress and providing a compensation for the piezo-hall effect

US9857247B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES NV · BE

Inventors

• Samuel Huber · Hamburg, DE
• Johan Raman · Knesselare, BE
• Pieter Rombouts · Mariakerke, BE
• Appolonius Jacobus Van Der Wiel · Tessenderlo, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 2013
• Grant date: Jan 2, 2018
• Expiry date: Sep 25, 2034

Classification

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

Abstract

A method determines isotropic stress by means of a Hall element which includes a plate-shaped area made of a doped semiconductor material and comprises four contacts contacting the plate-shaped area and forming corners of a quadrangle, two neighboring corners of the quadrangle defining an edge thereof. At least one van der Pauw transresistance value in at least one van der Pauw measurement set-up of the Hall element is determined, wherein the four contacts of the Hall element form contact pairs, a contact pair comprising two contacts defining neighboring corners of the quadrangle. One contact pair supplies a current and the other contact pair measures a voltage. A relationship between the supplied current and the measured voltage defines the Van der Pauw transresistance value. The method comprises determining a stress signal which depends on the at least one Van der Pauw transresistance value and determining isotropic stress.