A Modular Three-Dimensional Hall Effect Sensor for Performance Optimization

This paper presents three dimensional (3-D) Hall sensors that are capable of detecting magnetic fields in three axis directions and are realized on 180BCDLite Ⓡ technology with one or two mask adders. The 3-D Hall sensor architecture adopts a modular approach that enables optimization of the planar and vertical Hall devices. The geometries and doping profiles of the Hall devices can be designed for various performance specifications. The planar Hall devices are engineered independently to achieve either a high current–related sensitivity ${S}_{I} >385$ V/(A.T) or a high voltage–related sensitivity ${S}_{V} >50$ mV/(V.T). For the vertical Hall devices, ${S}_{V}$ up to 50 mV/(V.T) are demonstrated. The modular design enables flexibility for designers to provide a System-on-Chip (SoC) to meet the needs for a variety of magnetic sensing applications at a low-cost.