DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION

ENGINEERING

JODHPUR INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY
NH 65, MOGRA, JODHPUR 342 002.

PRACTICAL TRAINING REPORT

ON

CHARACTERIZATION OF MCT USING HALL

MEASUREMENT

TRAINING AT

SOLID STATE PHYSICS LABORATORY

DRDO TIMARPUR
DELHI - 110054

SUBMITTED BY
UDAY KUMAR
(VII SEMESTER)
(2011-12)

Abstract

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Introduction
The objective is describe the hall measurement technique for determining the carrier
density and mobility in semiconductor materials. Introductory description of the hall
measurement technique covering basic principles, equipment and recommended procedures.
The importance of the Hall Effect is supported by the need to determine accurately
carrier density, electrical resistivity and mobility of carriers in semiconductors. The Hall
Effect provides a relatively simple method for doing this. Because of its simplicity, low cost,
and fast turnaround time, it is an indispensable characterization technique in the
semiconductor industry and in research laboratories. Furthermore two Nobel prizes (1985,
1998) are based upon the Hall Effect.
The history of Hall Effect begins in 1879 when Edwin H Hall discovered that a
transverse voltage appeared across a current carrying thin metal strip in an applied magnetic
field. Until that time, electrical measurements provided only the carrier density mobility
product and the separation of these two important physical quantities had to rely on other
difficult measurements. The discovery of Hall Effect enabled a direct measure of the carrier
density. The polarity of this transverse Hall voltage proved that it is in fact electrons that are
physically moving in an electric current. Development of the technique has since led to a
mature and practical tool, which today is used routinely for characterizing the electrical
properties and quality of almost all of the semiconductor materials used by the industry and in
research labs throughout the world.

The Hall Effect

Evolution of Resistance Concepts
Electrical characterization of materials evolved in three levels of understanding. In the early
1800s, the resistance R and conductance G were treated as measurable physical quantities
obtainable from two terminal I V measurements (i.e. current I, voltage V). Later it became
obvious that the resistance alone was not comprehensive enough since different sample
shapes gave different resistance values. This led to the understanding (second level) that an
intrinsic material property like resistivity (or conductivity) is required that is not influenced by
the particular geometry of the sample. For the first time, this allowed scientists to quantify the
current carrying capability if the material and carry out meaningful comparisons between
different materials.
By the early 1900s, it was realized that