Determination​ ​of​ ​temperature​ ​dependence​ ​of​ ​Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​in

Germanium
-Aravind​ ​B​ ​and​ ​Shayani​ ​Parida

Aim:
To​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​technique​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​and​ ​determine​ ​the
dependence​ ​of​ ​Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​on​ ​Temperature​ ​in​ ​p​ ​doped​ ​Germanium.

Introduction:
The​ ​Hall​ ​effect​ ​is​ ​the​ ​production​ ​of​ ​a​ ​voltage​​ ​difference​ ​(the​ ​Hall​ ​voltage)
across​ ​an​​ ​electrical​ ​conductor​(​ ​or​ ​semiconductor),​ ​in​ ​a​ ​direction​ ​which​ ​is
transverse​ ​to​ ​an​​ ​electric​ ​current​​ ​in​ ​the​ ​conductor​ ​and​ ​to​ ​an​ ​applied​​ ​magnetic
field​​ ​perpendicular​ ​to​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​of​ ​current.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​discovered​ ​by​​ ​Edwin​ ​Hall
in​ ​1879.​[1]​​ ​This​ ​phenomenon​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​whether​ ​the​ ​mobile
charge​ ​carriers​ ​in​ ​a​ ​given​ ​material​ ​are​ ​positively​ ​or​ ​negatively​ ​charged.​ ​This
phenomenon​ ​is​ ​also​ ​widely​ ​used​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​the​ ​strength​ ​of​ ​magnetic​ ​field​ ​in​ ​a
region​ ​by​ ​measuring​ ​Hall​ ​Voltage​ ​developed​ ​in​ ​a​ ​material​ ​of​ ​known​ ​Hall
Coefficient​ ​and​ ​mobile​ ​charge​ ​density.

Theory:
Current​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​as​ ​the​ ​motion​ ​of​ ​many​ ​small​​ ​charge​ ​carriers​,​ ​typically
electrons​​ ​and​​ ​holes​.​ ​When​ ​a​ ​magnetic​ ​field​ ​is​ ​present,​ ​moving​ ​charges
experience​ ​a​ ​force,​ ​called​ ​the​​ ​Lorentz​ ​force​.​ ​When​ ​a​ ​magnetic​ ​field​ ​is​ ​applied
perpendicular​ ​to​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​of​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​charges​ ​in​ ​a​ ​material,​ ​paths​ ​of​ ​the
charges​ ​between​ ​collisions​ ​are​ ​curved,​ ​and​ ​as​ ​a​ ​result​ ​moving​ ​charges
accumulate​ ​on​ ​one​ ​face​ ​of​ ​the​ ​material.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​leave​ ​an​ ​equal​ ​and​ ​opposite
charge​ ​exposed​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​face,​ ​where​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​mobile​ ​charges.​ ​This
establishes​ ​a​ ​voltage​ ​transverse​ ​to​ ​the​ ​applied​ ​field​ ​and​ ​this​ ​voltage​ ​is​ ​stable​ ​as
long​ ​as​ ​current​ ​flow​ ​is​ ​maintained​ ​inside​ ​the​ ​material.
Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​ ​of​ ​a​ ​material​ ​is​ ​defined​ ​as​ ​the​ ​ratio​ ​of​ ​the​ ​induced​ ​electric​ ​field
inside​ ​the​ ​material​ ​to​ ​the​ ​product​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​density​ ​and​ ​the​ ​applied​ ​magnetic
field.​ ​Hall​ ​Coefficient(R)​ ​inside​ ​a​ ​semiconductor​ ​material​ ​like​ ​Germanium​ ​can
vary​ ​with​ ​temperature​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​field​ ​applied.
 Fig​ ​1.Hall​ ​effect​ ​measurement​ ​setup.​ ​V​H​​ ​is​ ​the​ ​measured​ ​hall​ ​voltage

In​ ​metals,​ ​where​ ​electrons​ ​are​ ​the​ ​only​ ​charge​ ​carriers,​ ​Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​is​ ​given
by:
Ey 1
R= jx * Bz =− ne
Where,
n​ ​is​ ​the​ ​mobile​ ​charge​ ​carrier​ ​concentration
e​ ​is​ ​the​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​an​ ​electron

For​ ​a​ ​semiconductor​ ​where​ ​both​ ​holes​ ​and​ ​electrons​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​the​ ​net​ ​current
inside​ ​the​ ​material​[2]​,
p * μ2h − n * μ2n
R= 2
e( p * μh + n * μn )
Where,
n​ ​is​ ​the​ ​negative​ ​charge​ ​carrier​ ​concentration
h​ ​is​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​charge​ ​carrier​ ​concentration
e​ ​is​ ​the​ ​charge​ ​of​ ​an​ ​electron
μn is​ ​the​ ​mobility​ ​of​ ​negative​ ​charge​ ​carrier
μh is​ ​the​ ​mobility​ ​of​ ​positive​ ​charge​ ​carrier

Since​ ​mobility​ ​of​ ​electrons​ ​and​ ​holes​ ​is​ ​hugely​ ​dependent​ ​on​ ​temperature,​ ​Hall
coefficient​ ​for​ ​semiconductors​ ​can​ ​change​ ​signs​ ​with​ ​temperature​ ​variation​ ​and
can​ ​also​ ​become​ ​zero​ ​at​ ​certain​ ​temperature.​ ​This​ ​phenomenon​ ​has​ ​been
observed​ ​in​ ​some​ ​p​ ​type​ ​semiconductors.
Procedure:
Setting​ ​up​ ​constant​ ​Magnetic​ ​Field
1. A​ ​Gaussmeter​ ​is​ ​placed​ ​in​ ​between​ ​two​ ​current​ ​carrying​ ​solenoids.
2. The​ ​Current​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Solenoids​ ​is​ ​varied​ ​till​ ​the​ ​Gauss​ ​meter​ ​reads​ ​3000
Gauss.
3. The​ ​set​ ​current​ ​then​ ​is​ ​4​ ​A
Setting​ ​up​ ​the​ ​heating​ ​system
1. A​ ​current​ ​source​ ​is​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Germanium​ ​slab​ ​and​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​heat
it​ ​up.
2. A​ ​probe​ ​(thermocouple)​ ​is​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​thermo​ ​EMF
generated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​semiconductor​ ​slab​ ​and​ ​the​ ​temperature​ ​is​ ​determined
from​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​the​ ​thermo​ ​EMF​ ​reading.
Measuring​ ​Hall​ ​Voltage
1. The​ ​thermal​ ​current​ ​is​ ​varied​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​temperature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​slab.
2. After​ ​the​ ​slab​ ​is​ ​given​ ​sufficient​ ​time​ ​to​ ​attain​ ​a​ ​temperature,​ ​the
magnetic​ ​field​ ​is​ ​switched​ ​off​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​Hall​ ​Voltage​ ​due​ ​to​ ​residual
magnetic​ ​field​ ​like​ ​Earth’s​ ​magnet.
3. Then​ ​the​ ​current​ ​to​ ​the​ ​solenoids​ ​is​ ​switched​ ​on​ ​and​ ​Hall​ ​Voltage​ ​inside
the​ ​slab​ ​is​ ​measured​ ​again.
4. The​ ​actual​ ​voltage​ ​is​ ​Measured-​ ​Residual​ ​voltage.
5. This​ ​method​ ​is​ ​repeated​ ​at​ ​different​ ​temperatures.

Results​ ​and​ ​Discussion:

Hall​ ​Coefficient​ ​is​ ​found​ ​using​ ​the​ ​equation:
R = VI **Hz
Where,
V​ ​=​ ​Corrected​ ​Hall​ ​Voltage​ ​(​ ​Measured-Residual)
Sample​ ​thickness​ ​(z)​ ​=​ ​0.5​ ​mm
Magnetic​ ​Field​ ​(H)=​ ​3000​ ​Gauss=​ ​0.3​ ​T
Heater Temperatur Offset​ ​volt​ ​at Corrected​ ​hall Hall
current Thermo​ ​EMF e Hall​ ​volt residual volt coefficient
mA mV Celsius mV mV mV cm^3​ ​*​ ​C^-1
1 0 25 75.9 1.4 74.5 31041.667
200 0.1 27.5 74.8 1.9 72.9 30375
300 0.33 33 72.2 1.8 70.4 29333.333
400 0.49 37 58.8 1.6 57.2 23833.333
500 0.85 46 45.7 1 44.7 18625
600 1.31 57 24.7 0.2 24.5 10208.333
700 1.99 73.5 1 -0.3 1.3 541.6667
750 2.35 82 0.1 -0.2 0.3 125
800 2.68 90 -0.2 -0.4 0.2 83.3333
850 3.02 98 -5.3 -0.3 -5 -2083.333
Conclusion:
As​ ​temperature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Germanium​ ​plate​ ​is​ ​increased​ ​from​ ​25​0​C​ ​to​ ​98​0​C,​ ​the​ ​Hall
coefficient​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Germanium​ ​slab​ ​decreases​ ​from​ ​3.1*10​4​cm​3​/C​ ​to​ ​-2*10​3
cm​3​/C.​ ​Thus,​ ​we​ ​see​ ​a​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​p​ ​type​ ​behaviour​ ​to​ ​n-type​ ​behaviour​ ​as
temperature​ ​is​ ​increased.​ ​This​ ​transition​ ​from​ ​p​ ​type​ ​to​ ​n​ ​type​ ​behaviour​ ​is​ ​seen
approximately​ ​between​ ​90​0​C​ ​and​ ​98​0​C,​ ​at​ ​which​ ​temperature​ ​the​ ​Hall
Coefficient​ ​becomes​ ​0.

References:
1. ​ ​Edwin​ ​Hall​,​ ​"On​ ​a​ ​New​ ​Action​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Magnet​ ​on​ ​Electric​ ​Currents".
American​ ​Journal​ ​of​ ​Mathematics.​ ​2​ ​(3):​ ​287–92;​ ​1879
2. 2.​ ​Kasap,​ ​Safa.​​ ​"Hall​ ​Effect​ ​in​ ​Semiconductors"​,​ ​2001