Measurement of Hall coefficient and the carrier concentration using

Hall effect:
Akshay Pal

BS-MS, School of Physical Sciences

Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata-700032

Abstract:
Conductivity measurements in semiconductors cannot reveal whether one or both types of carriers
are present, nor distinguish between them. However, this information can be obtained from Hall
Effect measurements, which are a basic tool for the determination of mobilities. The effect was
discovered by E.H. Hall in 1879. This experiment is one of the biggest breakthroughs of physics
because of its applicability in condense matter physics and semiconductor physics and also it is the
mother of deep physical phenomenon like Quantum Hall effect and Topological materials.

In this experiment our Aim is the following:

1) To determine Hall coefficient of semiconductor at room temperature

2) To measure the carrier concentration of a sample material.

Introduction:

At equilibrium,
The Lorentz force on a carrier is given by
⃗F m=e (⃗vd × ⃗
B)
Drift velocity ⃗ ⃗
v d and magnetic field B are setup in such a way that they are perpendicular
therefore we can write the above equation as:
¿ F m∨¿ v d B
Due to accumulation of charges at equilibrium we develop Hall voltage given by the
following relation:
V He
¿ F H ∨¿ e∨E H ∨¿
w
 Where ‘w’ is breadth of above 2D plane as shown above in the figure. | F H | is the hall force and V H
is the Hall voltage.

Now at equilibrium,

¿ F m∨¿∨F H ∨¿

Then we get:

EH V H
v d= = (1)
B Bw
For negative charges:

If ‘d’ is the small width of almost 2D plane d ≪w< L .Then the current density of negative charges
will be the following:

J L=−ne v d

Where ‘n’ is the concentration of electrons. Also, we know I = ⃗

J .⃗
A =−e . n . w . d . v d along with Eq.
1 we get the following result:

−IB
V H= (2)
ned
For positive charges:

The results will be similar only the changes will be following:

J L= pe v d

Where ‘p’ is the concentration of holes.

IB
V H= (3)
ped
Hall coefficient:

We define Hall coefficient as follows:

EH V H d
RH= =
JL B IB

Thus, we get from equation 2:

1
RH=
ne
Graphs, Calculation and Observation:
Estimation of Magnetic field:

Current (A) Magnetic field (Gauss)

0.01 222
0.25 708
0.5 1273
0.75 1868
1 2540
1.25 3190
1.5 3820
1.75 4430
2 5010
2.25 5580
2.5 6090
2.75 6540
3 6940
3.25 7270
3.5 7560
3.75 7810
4 8040

Magnetic field
Linear fit
7000 Equation y = a + b*x
Plot Magnetic field
W eight No W eighting
6000 Intercept 205.91648 ± 66.3
Magnetic field (Gauss)

Slope 2333.88446 ± 37.

Residual Sum of Sq 176046.36602
5000 Pearson's r 0.99858
R-Square (COD) 0.99716
Adj. R-Square 0.9969
4000

3000

2000

1000

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Current (A)
The estimation of Hall coefficient for p-type Germanium:

The current about the electromagnet: I const =1 A

The corresponding magnetic field B=2540 G

Probe current (mA) Hall Voltage (mV)

0.03 0.2
0.58 13.2
1.11 26.2
1.47 34.9
2 47.5
2.48 59
2.95 70
3.57 84.3
4.04 95
4.73 110.1
5.29 121.8
5.59 127.6
6.07 136.2
6.6 146.5
6.99 153.1

Ge: p type sample Probe voltage

Linear Fit
Equation y = a + b*x
160 Plot Probe voltage
Weight No Weighting
140 Intercept 2.5424 ± 1.18631
Slope 22.19559 ± 0.283
Residual Sum of Squar 74.95617
120 Pearson's r 0.99894
Probe voltage (mV)

R-Square (COD) 0.99788

100 Adj. R-Square 0.99772

80

60

40

20

-20
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Probe current (mA)
From the above graph:

RH B
slope of V H vs I curve= =22.195 Ω
d
Then, for d=5× 10−2 cm

R H =¿43.68×10 3 cm 3 coulomb−1

1
no. density of holes = p ¿ =¿ 1.43 ×1014 cm−3
ℜ

Then mobility of holes, for σ p=¿ 0.2 coulomb.volt-1.sec-1.cm-1 (given)

μ p = Rσ p = 8.74 × 103 cm2 . volt−1 . sec−1

The estimation of Hall coefficient for n-type Germanium:

The current about the electromagnet: I const =1 A

The corresponding magnetic field B=2540 G

Probe current (mA) Hall voltage (mV)

0 0
0.45 -4.3
0.92 -9.2
1.56 -15.9
2.03 -20.6
2.43 -24.8
3.06 -31.1
3.57 -36.5
4.02 -41.1
4.55 -46.4
5.08 -51.9
5.5 -56.2
6.01 -61.4
6.5 -66.3
6.99 -71.3
7.5 -76.4
 Probe voltage
Ge: n type sample
10 Linear fit

0
Equation y = a + b*x
Plot Probe voltage
-10
Weight No Weighting
Probe voltage (mV)

Intercept 0.10381 ± 0.04883

-20 Slope -10.22205 ± 0.011
Residual Sum of Squar 0.14678
-30 Pearson's r -0.99999
R-Square (COD) 0.99998
-40 Adj. R-Square 0.99998

-50

-60

-70

-80

-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Probe current (mA)

From the above graph:

RH B
slope of V H vs I curve= =−10.22 Ω
d
Then, for d=5× 10−2 cm

R H =¿20.12×10 3 cm 3 coulomb−1

1 14 −3
no. density of electrons = n ¿ =3.11× 10 cm cm−3
ℜ

Then mobility of electrons, for σ 1=¿ 0.1 coulomb.volt-1.sec-1.cm-1 (given)

μe = Rσ e = 2.01 ×103 cm 2 . volt−1 . sec−1

Error analysis:
Instrumental error
(1) for constant magnetic field, the percentage error in calculating hall co-efficient,

=>
R (
dR dI dV
= +
I V
×100 )
Where, dI = least count in probe current measurement = 0.01 mA
dV = least count in hall voltage measurement = 0.1 volt
p-type -
dR
R (
%=
dI dV
+
I V )× 100=1.9 %

%=( +
I V )
dR dI dV
n-type - × 100=0.2 %
R

Results:
Hall co-efficient (for constant magnetic field)

RH for the p-type semiconductor = 43.68 ×10 3 ± 0.02 cm 3 . coulomb−1

RH for the n-type semiconductor = 20.12 ×103 ± 0.002 cm 3 . coulomb−1

1
no. density of holes, p = =¿ 1.43 ×1014 cm−3
ℜ
1
no. density of electrons, n = =¿ 3.11 ×1014 cm−3
ℜ
For the mobility calculation hall co-efficient is multiplied with conductivity, so error in R will be the
error in mobility. So, we have taken the average of errors in R, which will be same with the errors in
mobility.

mobility of holes, μ p = R1σ p = 8.74 ×10 3 ± 0.009 cm 2 . volt−1 . sec−1

mobility of electrons, μe = R2σ e = 2.01 ×10 3 ± 0.002 cm2 . volt −1 . sec −1