Low offset and high sensitivity vertical hall effect sensor

摘要

A vertical Hall Effect sensor is provided having a high degree of symmetry between its bias modes, can be adapted to exhibit a small pre-spinning systematic offset, and complies with the minimal spacing requirements allowed by the manufacturing technology (e.g., CMOS) between the inner contacts. These characteristics enable the vertical Hall Effect sensor to have optimal performance with regard to offset and sensitivity.

主权项

1. A vertical Hall Effect sensor comprising:
a Hall Effect device including: a substrate having a top surface and a region below the top surface of a first conductivity type; a conductive well embedded in the region and having a second conductivity type; a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth ohmic contact arranged sequentially and spaced apart from each other in a row within the conductive well, the row being generally parallel to the top surface, each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight ohmic contacts having a conductivity that is different than the conductivity of the well; a voltage measuring device including four input terminals; a switching device configured to be connected to a bias source and including: four output terminals which are electrically connected to the four input terminals, respectively, of the switching device; and a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth input terminal; wherein the first and the sixth ohmic contacts are electrically connected to each other and to the fifth input terminal of the switching device, wherein the third and the eighth ohmic contacts are electrically connected to each other and to the second input terminal of the switching device, wherein the second ohmic contact is electrically connected to the first input terminal of the switching device, wherein the fourth ohmic contact is electrically connected to the third input terminal of the switching device, wherein the fifth ohmic contact is electrically connected to the fourth input terminal of the switching device, wherein the seventh ohmic contact is electrically connected to the sixth input terminal of the switching device, wherein the switching device includes a plurality of modes of operation, and wherein in each of the modes of operation, the switching device is configured to electrically connect two of the input terminals selected from the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth input terminals of the switching device to the bias source and to ground, respectively, and to electrically connect the remaining four input terminals of the switching device not connected to the bias source and to ground to the four input terminals of the voltage measuring device via the four output terminals, respectively, of the switching device.