DETERMINATION OF HALL COEFFICIENT BY USING HALL

APPARATUS

Requisites
Hall Probe (Ge crystal & InAs Crystal) Hall effect setup (Digital)
Electromagnet Constant current power supply.
Digital Gaussmeter.

Theory
When an electrical current passes through a sample placed in a magnetic field, a voltage develops
across the sample in a direction perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. This is
known as Hall effect. The basic experimental setup for study of Hall effect is shown in Fig. 9.1.
A rectangular slab of a semiconducting sample with its width (w) along y-direction and thickness
(d) along z-direction is placed in a magnetic field of strength B directed along the z-direction.
Now an electric current, IH is made to pass through the sample along its length by maintaining a
potential difference along x-direction. The corresponding current density is,
= (1)

Suppose that the charge carriers are positive, each having charge +q, and are moving along +x
direction with velocity . Then the Lorentz force experienced by the carriers due to themagnetic
field is,
= = ˆ (2)

This force Balong -yˆ direction deflects the

positive charge carriers towards the bottom
surface of the sample. This makes the bottom
surface positively charged while leaving the
top surface negatively charged. This
Fig. 9.1
accumulation of charges near the bottom and top surfaces of the sample leads to the development
of a transverse electric field = Eyyˆ along the y-direction. Force due to this electric field,
q opposed the Lorentz force Band prevents further charge accumulation. In the steady state
condition, these two forces balance out each other and we get,
= (3)
Now we define a quantity called Hall coefficient RH, as the ratio of the electric field Ey to the
current density Jx multiplied by magnetic field B, that is

= = (4)

where we have used Eq. (3) and the fact that Jx= nqv, n being the number density (m-3) of charge
carriers. In order to determine RH, we proceed as follows. Writing v = Jx/nq and multiplying both
sides of Eq. (3) by wd, we get
= (5)

PHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL 79

But Ew= VH, the voltage across the top and bottom surfaces called the Hall voltage and Jxwd =IH.
This gives,
= (6)

Therefore, if we measure the Hall voltage VH against Hall current IH for a fixed magnetic field B
and plot VH versus IH, the curve will be a straight line with the slope m being,
= (7)

The Hall coefficient RH can be calculated from the value of this slope, m if the thickness d of the
sample is known. Once RH is determined, the carrier density n can be calculated using Eq.
(4).Now assume the situation where the charge carriers are negative with q = -e. In that case, for
current direction along +x, the charges will be moving with velocity = -vxˆ. The Lorentz force,
B= q( x )=-(evB)yˆ will still be along negative y direction as before. However this time, the
bottom surface acquires negative polarity and consequently, the sign of the Hall voltage VH will
be opposite to what was observed in case of positive charge. Thus for given directions of the Hall
current and the magnetic field, we can determine the type of charge carriers (whether +ve or -ve)
by looking at the sign of the Hall voltage VH.

Description of apparatus
The experimental setup is complete unit (Fig. 9.2) consisting of the followings - an
electromagnet, constant current power supply, a Gauss and Tesla meter, a Hall current & voltage
measurement unit and the sample connected with contact leads for passing Hall current and
measuring Hall voltage.

Fig. 9.2. Hall effect set-up

Experimental procedure:
1. Connect the width wise contacts of the Hall probe to the terminals marked ‘voltage’ and
Length wise contacts to terminals marked ‘current’.
2. Switch ‘ON’ the Hall effect setup and adjustment current (say few mA).
3. Switch over the display to voltage side. There may be some voltage reading even outside
the magnetic field. This is due to imperfect alignment of the four contacts of the Hall probe
and is generally known as the ‘Zero field potential’. In case its value is comparable to the
Hall voltage it should be adjusted to a minimum possible (for Hall probe (Ge) only). In all
cases the error should be substracted from the Hall voltage reading.
4. Switch on the constant current power supply at any desired value.
80 C. V. RAMAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
5. Measure the magnetic field between the pole pieces of the electromagnet using digital
Gaussmeter and also measure the distance between two pole pieces.
6. The Hall probe is placed in between the pole pieces of the electromagnet as shown in
Fig. 9.2 and rotate the Hall probe till it becomes perpendicular to the magnetic field so that
the Hall voltage will be minimum in this adjustment.
7. Measure the Hall voltage as a function of current in the Hall effect setup keeping the
magnetic field constant and plot a graph.
8. The slopes (V1 / I1) &( V2 / I2) is to be calculated from the graph.

Determination of Hall Coefficient

The thickness of the semiconductor d = 0.58mm
Constant Power Supply: 1.5 A and 2 A

Data Sheet:
Sl. Const. Magnetic Field Const. Magnetic Field
No. B1 =………………….Gauss B2 =………………….Gauss
Current in mA Voltage in mV Current in mA Voltage in mV
(I1) (V1) (I2) (V2)
1

10

Graph: A graph is plotted between Hall current (I) and Hall voltage (V) for two constant
magnetic fields.

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Calculation :

The value of Hall coefficient is calculated applying the formula RH =

From graph =……… and =………………

= =

= =

+
=
2

Conclusion

Precautions

1. The current through the sample should not be large enough to cause heating.
2. The pressure contacts should be clean and firm to avoid noise.

82 C. V. RAMAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Expt. No: Regd. No: Div / Group: Date:

WORK SHEET

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT:

REQUISITES:

WORKING FORMULA :

The thickness of the semiconductor d = 0.58mm

Constant Power Supply: 1.5 A and 2A
Data Sheet:
Sl. Const. Magnetic Field Const. Magnetic Field
No. B1 =………………….Gauss B2 =………………….Gauss
Current in mA Voltage in mV Current in mA Voltage in mV
(I1) (V1) (I2) (V2)
1

10

PHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL 83

CALCULATION:

Mean RH =

CONCLUSION

Date of Submission Signature of the student

84 C. V. RAMAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Expt. No.: Regd.No: Div/Group: Date:

GRAPH SHEET
DETERMINATION OF HALL COEFFICIENT BY USING HALL APPARATUS

Voltage (VH) VsCurrent (I)

Scale:

Date of Submission Signature of the Student

PHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL 85