Patent ID: 6542068
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: G01R,H01L,H02K

Abstract:
A vertical Hall effect sensor, comprising:a semiconductor crystal having a pair of current electrodes arranged on a surface thereof and having a Hall effect voltage contact arranged between the pair of current electrodes, wherein the semiconductor crystal has sufficient thickness to allow a current flow between the pair of current electrodes in the semiconductor crystal, which current flow makes the Hall effect sensor sensitive to a magnetic field aligned parallel to the surface, wherein the Hall effect sensor has at least three arm sections which are arranged at equal angular intervals from one another and which run together in a central section, wherein each of the arm sections has an outer current electrode which is arranged opposite a central inner current electrode in the central section, with the outer current electrodes in each case forming the pair of current electrodes, wherein a Hall effect voltage contact is arranged between the respective outer current electrodes and the central inner current electrodes to allow a current flow between the outer current electrodes in each of the arm sections of the semiconductor crystal, which current flow produces a plurality of output signals from the Hall effect sensor for a magnetic field aligned parallel to the surface corresponding to the number of arm sections and with a predetermined angle dependency, and wherein the three arm sections are arranged at an angle of 120Â° to one another.