Hall element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841471-B2
Application number	US-201614997710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A Hall element is integrated on a single substrate and is capable of cancelling offset voltage with a spinning switch configured to switch spinning current and capable of simultaneously detecting a horizontal direction magnetic field and a vertical direction magnetic field. The Hall element has a four-fold rotational axis and includes a P-type semiconductor substrate layer formed of P-type silicon, a vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region formed on the P-type semiconductor substrate layer, and eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions formed so as to surround the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Hall element configured to detect a vertical magnetic field and a horizontal magnetic field by utilizing a Hall effect, to thereby reduce offset voltage, the Hall element comprising:
a P-type semiconductor substrate layer formed of P-type silicon;
a vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region formed on the P-type semiconductor substrate layer; and
eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions formed so as to surround the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region,
wherein the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region comprises:
a vertical magnetic field sensing portion having a four-fold rotational axis and one of a square shape and a cross shape; and
first surface N-type highly-doped regions having the same shape formed at one of respective vertices and end portions of the vertical magnetic field sensing portion, each of the first surface N-type highly-doped regions being configured to serve as a vertical magnetic field detection control current input terminal and a vertical magnetic field Hall voltage output terminal.

2. A Hall element according to claim 1 , wherein the eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions comprise:
four horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions that are formed on right and left sides of the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region (X direction), and are configured to detect an X direction component of horizontal magnetic field components; and
four horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions that are formed on upper and lower sides of the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region (Y direction), and are configured to detect a Y direction component of the horizontal magnetic field components.

3. A Hall element according to claim 2 ,
wherein the eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions and the first surface N-type highly-doped regions form horizontal magnetic field detection portions, and
wherein calculation of four outputs of respective magnetic field detection Hall voltages of X direction magnetic field portions and Y direction magnetic field portions in the horizontal magnetic field detection portions allows removal of an offset voltage of a horizontal magnetic field component detection Hall voltage.

4. A Hall element according to claim 3 , further configured to simultaneously perform vertical magnetic field detection and horizontal magnetic field detection in both of which offset voltage is removed by simultaneously performing:
the removal of the offset voltage of the vertical magnetic field component detection Hall voltage with spinning current in the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region; and
the removal of the offset voltage of the horizontal magnetic field component detection Hall voltage in the horizontal magnetic field detection portions by calculating the four outputs of the respective magnetic field detection Hall voltages of the X direction magnetic field portions and the Y direction magnetic field portions.

5. A Hall element according to claim 1 ,
wherein all of the eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions have the same shape, and
wherein the Hall element further comprises, for the each of the first surface N-type highly-doped regions:
horizontal direction magnetic field detection control current input terminals that are formed on a right and left (X) direction axis and an up and down (Y) direction axis of the Hall element, and comprise second surface N-type highly-doped regions;
a buried N-type highly-doped region formed in the P-type semiconductor substrate layer corresponding to lower parts of the horizontal direction magnetic field detection control current input terminals in a substrate direction (Z direction);
a horizontal magnetic field sensing portion sandwiched between the each of the horizontal direction magnetic field detection control current input terminals and the buried N-type highly-doped region; and
horizontal magnetic field Hall voltage output terminals that are formed in the vertical (Y) direction and the horizontal (X) direction so as to sandwich the each of the horizontal direction magnetic field detection control current input terminals, and comprise two third surface N-type highly-doped regions.

6. A Hall element according to claim 5 , wherein the each of the first surface N-type highly-doped regions is configured to function also as the each of the horizontal direction magnetic field detection control current input terminals.

7. A Hall element according to claim 5 , wherein the first surface N-type highly-doped regions and the two third surface N-type highly-doped regions are formed deeper than the second surface N-type highly-doped regions.

8. A Hall element according to claim 1 , further comprising surface P-type highly-doped regions surrounding the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region and the eight horizontal magnetic field detection N-type doped regions.

9. A Hall element according to claim 8 , wherein each of the surface P-type highly-doped regions comprises a potential barrier portion forming a partition between the vertical magnetic field sensing portion and the horizontal magnetic field sensing portion.

10. A Hall element according to claim 8 , wherein, of the surface P-type highly-doped regions, an outer peripheral surface P-type highly-doped region comprises an element isolation portion for isolating the Hall element from other elements.

11. A Hall element according to claim 1 , wherein spinning current in the vertical magnetic field detection N-type doped region allows removal of an offset voltage of a vertical magnetic field component detection Hall voltage.

Assignees

• Seiko Instr Inc
• Sii Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Hioka Takaaki
• Ebihara Mika

Classifications

• G01R33/077 Primary

  Vertical Hall-effect devices · CPC title

• G01R33/07

  Hall effect devices · CPC title

• G01R33/075

  Hall devices configured for spinning current measurements · CPC title

• H10N52/00 Primary

  Hall-effect devices (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N59/00) · CPC title