Junior Honours - Experimental Physics

Hall Effect
1 Objectives
• To determine the sign and number density of majority charge carriers in samples of
n and p-type Germanium.

• To determine the drift velocity of majority charge carriers in samples of n and p-type
Germanium.

2 Introduction
A current carrying conductor in a perpendicular magnetic field will produce a transverse
emf. known as the Hall voltage. Charge carriers in the conductor experience a Lorentz
force F = q(E + v × B) where q is the charge of the carriers, v their velocity, B the
magnetic field and E the electric field. The charge carriers will accumulate on one side of
the conductor and will generate an emf. with the magnitude of the Hall voltage VH given
by,
BI
VH =
net
the Hall coefficient RH ,
1
RH =
ne
and the Hall mobility µ,
RH
µ= = RH σ
ρ
where B is the magnetic field, I the current, n is the number density (number of charge
carriers per unit volume), e the charge of the electron, t the thickness of the conductor, ρ
the resistivity of the conductor and σ the conductivity of the conductor.
n-type semiconductors are doped with trace quantities of a group V element (e.g. phos-
phorus, arsenic or antimony) as a pentavalent donor. p-type semiconductors are doped with
trace quantities of a group III element (e.g. boron, aluminium or indium) as a trivalent
acceptor. n-type semiconductors conduct by mobile negative charges (electrons), p-type
semiconductors by mobile positive charges (holes). These electrons and holes are known
as majority carriers. For semiconductors the Hall effect provides a means of determining
the sign of the majority charge carriers and their number density.
WARNING!
1. Germanium crystals are brittle and are therefore fragile.

• Do NOT bend or twist the sample-holder printed circuit board (PCB) during
experiment assembly and disassembly.
• ALWAYS support the sample-holder PCB when inserting or removing electrical
plugs.

2. Do NOT exceed a current of 30mA through the Germanium sample.

3 Experiment

Figure 1: Photograph of Ge sample-holder PCB and electrical connections.

Measure the Hall voltage for the n and p-type Germanium samples as a function of
current using the strong permanent magnet, the weak permanent magnet and no magnetic
field (see figures 1 & 2). Using this data calculate the Hall coefficient RH and number
density n and demonstrate the sign of the charge carriers.
Measure the voltage drop across the n and p-type Germanium samples as a function of
current (see figures 1 & 3). Using this data determine the resistivity ρ of the n and p-type
Germanium samples and the Hall mobilities µ of their charge carriers.

4 References
1. J.R. Hook & H.E. Hall, Solid State Physics, Wiley

2
 2V d.c.

10k

mA
3

Ge mV
2.1 2.2

Figure 2: Schematic diagram of Hall voltage measurement.

2V d.c.

10k

mA

2.1 Ge 2.2

mV

Figure 3: Schematic diagram of resistivity measurement.