Spectroscopy

Osama Tariq Satti

 Lecture # 3
• Hall effect
 Hall Effect
The Hall effect was discovered in
1879 by Edwin Herbert Hall while
working on his doctoral degree at the
Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Discovered 18 years before the
electron.

He discovered that when a current carrying conductor/ semiconductor

is placed perpendicularly to a magnetic field, a voltage is generated that
could be measured at right angles to the current path
 Hall Effect
When a conductor or semiconductor is placed in the magnetic field and a
voltage is applied through the material perpendicular to the magnetic field.
The voltage induces current flow along the electric field direction but, the
charge carriers also experience a magnetic deflection from their path. This
results a separation of positive and negative carriers, and thus the generation
of an electric field perpendicular to the direction of current flow

As a result there is a voltage across the

sample, which can be measured with a
high impedance voltmeter. This voltage,
𝑉𝐻 , is called the Hall voltage. The
phenomenon is due to the Lorentz force

𝑭 = 𝒒[𝑬 + (𝒗 𝒙 𝑩)]
 Hall Voltage & Coefficient
• For a semiconductor
𝐼𝐵 𝐼𝐵
𝑉𝐻 = = 𝑅𝐻
𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑑
Where,
n = carrier concentration
d = length of the conductor
I = Current in the conductor
B = Magnetic flux density

RH is the Hall coefficient

VH is the Hall Voltage
 Applications
• Type of semiconductor
For a N-type semiconductor, the Hall coefficient is negative whereas for a
P-type semiconductor, it is positive. Thus from the direction of the Hall
voltage developed, one can find out the type of semiconductor.
• Carrier Concentration
Once Hall coefficient RH is measured, the carrier concentration can be
obtained,
𝟏 𝟏
𝒏= or 𝐩=
𝒆𝑹𝑯 𝒆𝑹𝑯
 Applications

• Determination of mobility
• We know that,
• 𝝁 = 𝝈𝑹𝑯
• Thus by measuring ‘𝝈’ and RH, ‘𝝁’ can be calculated.
• Measurement of magnetic flux density
•Using a semiconductor sample of known `RH’, the

•𝑩 =
magnetic flux density can be deduced from
𝑽𝑯𝒕
𝑹𝑯𝑰