Hall element

• US 5,057,890 A
• Filed: 11/09/1990
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LGZ Landis & Gyr Zug AG (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: LGZ Landis & Gyr Zug AG (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Falk, Urs, Popovic, Radivoje
• Primary Examiner(s): James, Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWERS, COURTNEY
• Application Number:
  US07/613,936
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 357/27, 324/251, 324/252
• US Class Current: 257/427
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 52/101 Semiconductor Hall-effect devices

Abstract

A Hall element has a polygonal plane cross-section. In the cross-sectional plane, on the sides of the cross-section, are cross-sections of electrodes, the number of which is a multiple of four. The locations and cross-sections of the electrodes are mathematically conformal mappings into the polygonal plane cross-section of a fictitious group of non-overlapping cross-sections of electrodes in equal number transformed from a fictitious plane in which they are arranged radially symmetric on the circumference of a circle. The radius of the circle is equal to one. The fictitious group is sub-divided into groups of four within which the cross-sections of the corresponding fictitious electrodes are always at the same distances to each other on the circumference of the circle.

Claims

1. A Hall element comprising a single zone of homogenous semiconductor material having a cross-sectional plane and comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged in groups of four, wherein each group of four electrodes has first and second current electrodes and first and second sensor electrodes, wherein each group of four electrodes has cross-sections arranged point asymmetrically in the cross-sectional plane in relation to the center of the polygon along at least one side of said polygon, wherein the positions of said electrode cross-sections on a side of said polygon are approximately determined by conformal mappings of a fictitious group of non-overlapping cross-sections of fictitious electrodes equal in number to said plurality of electrodes and which are located in a fictitious plane on the circumference or a unit circle symmetrically with respect to the center of the unit circle, said fictitious electrodes being divided into groups of four equally spaced fictitious electrodes.

2. The Hall element as in claim 1, wherein said plane polygon cross-section has four sides.

3. The Hall element as in claim 2, wherein said plane polygon cross-section is substantially in the shape of a trapezoid.

4. The Hall element of claim 2 wherein said polygon in said cross-sectional plane is a rectangle and wherein the coordinates (u1, u2) of each of the two endpoints of each cross-section of each of said electrodes is given by a complex value (u1+ju2) according to ##EQU5## α

and β

bare real parameters which can be selected freely, j is the imaginary unit and

where a and b are two real parameters characterizing the lengths of the sides of said rectangle and where k is given by ##EQU6## where w represents the complex values (w1+jw2) of the coordinates (w1, w2) of the endpoints of the ficitious electrodes and where x is a variable.

5. The Hall element as in claim 4, wherein β

equals zero.

6. The Hall element as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said Hall element comprises one single group of four electrodes whose locations are determined by conformal mappings from one group of four of said fictitious electrodes.

7. The Hall element of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said Hall element comprises two groups of four electrodes whose locations are determined by conformal mappings of two groups of four of said fictitious electrodes.