Hall Effect Sensor

Electronics Engineering

How It Works

The Hall effect sensor exploits the transverse deflection experienced by moving charge carriers in an electrical conductor or semiconductor when subjected to an orthogonal magnetic field. When a longitudinal current I flows through the thin semiconductor slab in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic flux density B, the magnetic Lorentz force F = q(v × B) deflects carriers toward one lateral edge. This charge accumulation creates an electrostatic Hall voltage V_H that linearly measures magnetic field intensity.

Governing Equation
V_H = (I · B) / (n · q · t) = R_H · (I · B / t)   |   E_H = -v_d × B