TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to Hall effect sensor devices, and methods of forming the Hall effect sensor devices.

BACKGROUND

Hall effect sensor devices capable of determining magnetic field strengths are used in various applications, such as automotive applications. A Hall effect sensor device generally includes a Hall plate of electrically conducting material and terminals connected to the Hall plate. External voltages may be applied to the terminals to cause electric currents to flow through the Hall plate. In the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of the Hall plate, Lorentz forces may be exerted on the charge carriers in the electric currents. This may produce a Hall voltage within the Hall plate. By determining the magnitude of the Hall voltage, the strength of the magnetic field may be determined.

Hall effect sensor devices can be implemented as semiconductor devices, with the Hall plates and terminals including doped semiconductor material. In several existing Hall effect sensor devices, an intermediate region may be arranged between each neighboring pair of terminals. This intermediate region may also include doped semiconductor material, but of a conductivity type opposite to that of the Hall plate and the terminals. This gives rise to the presence of many p-n junctions within the Hall plate. The depletion widths of these p-n junctions may vary based on the external voltages applied to the terminals and the temperature around the Hall plate. For example, these depletion widths may increase when higher external voltages are applied to the terminals. Further, the variations in the depletion widths may differ across different p-n junctions. As a result, there may be resistance mismatch between different regions of the Hall plate. Therefore, the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and the offset/residual voltages (in other words, the Hall voltages produced in the absence of magnetic fields) of existing Hall effect sensor devices are generally high.

SUMMARY

According to various non-limiting embodiments, there may be provided a Hall effect sensor device including a sensor structure, wherein the sensor structure may include: a base layer having a first conductivity type; a Hall plate region having a second conductivity type opposite from the first conductivity type arranged above the base layer; a first isolating region arranged around and adjoining the Hall plate region, wherein the first isolating region may include an electrically insulating material and may contact the base layer; a plurality of second isolating regions arranged within the Hall plate region, wherein each of the plurality of second isolating regions may include an electrically insulating material; and a plurality of terminal regions arranged within the Hall plate region, each neighboring pair of terminal regions electrically isolated from each other by one of the plurality of second isolating regions.

According to various non-limiting embodiments, there may be provided a method of forming a Hall effect sensor device including: providing a substrate having a first conductivity type; forming a base layer having the first conductivity type and a first isolating region including an electrically insulating material within the substrate, wherein the first isolating region may contact the base layer; forming a Hall plate region having a second conductivity type opposite from the first conductivity type above the base layer, wherein the first isolating region may be arranged around and adjoining the Hall plate region; forming a plurality of second isolating regions within the Hall plate region, wherein each of the plurality of second isolating regions may include an electrically insulating material; and forming a plurality of terminal regions within the Hall plate region, each neighboring pair of terminal regions electrically isolated from each other by one of the plurality of second isolating regions.

According to various non-limiting embodiments, there may be provided a Hall effect sensor device including a sensor structure, wherein the sensor structure may include: an insulating layer; a Hall plate region arranged above the insulating layer; a first isolating region arranged around and adjoining the Hall plate region, wherein the first isolating region may include an electrically insulating material and may contact the insulating layer; a plurality of second isolating regions arranged within the Hall plate region, wherein each of the plurality of second isolating regions may include an electrically insulating material; and a plurality of terminal regions arranged within the Hall plate region, each neighboring pair of terminal regions electrically isolated from each other by one of the plurality of second isolating regions.

