Hall sensor device and method for detecting a magnetic field

Abstract

Hall sensor device with the following features: a Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) with at least five contacts (C1 - C8) which are wired to at least five terminals (T1 - T8), wherein none of the at least five contacts (C1 - C8) is wired to more than one of the at least five terminals (T1 - T5); a supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92); and a detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), wherein the Hall sensor device is configured such that in a first operating phase a supply current enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections or enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8), and two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected between any two of the at least five connections (T1 - T5), wherein the detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96) is designed to combine the detected differential signals into a total signal.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to Hall sensor devices having at least five terminals and methods for detecting a magnetic field using a corresponding Hall sensor device. background

[0002] Magnetic field-sensitive devices are used to measure magnetic fields. Examples of magnetic field-sensitive devices include Hall effect sensors, which have an output signal proportional to an applied magnetic field. Magnetic field-sensitive devices can output a non-zero signal when the magnetic field is zero. This signal is called the offset error (zero-field error) of the device or sensor element.

[0003] Hall-effect sensor devices comprise a Hall-effect region, where the Hall effect occurs, sometimes referred to as the active region, and equipped with three or more contacts. Generally, the Hall-effect region can be formed from a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon) within a semiconductor substrate. The Hall-effect region can, for example, be a doped well within a semiconductor material of a different doping type. A contact can be formed by a more heavily doped contact area within or in contact with the Hall-effect region. A contact can be formed by contact diffusion or an implantation process. Multiple contacts can be connected to the same terminal via metal leads, for example, in an interlayer of semiconductor technology. Terminals are used to connect the device.to supply the component with electrical power and to tap its output signals.

[0004] Hall plates, sometimes called horizontal Hall elements, are flat devices and can have a thickness 5 to 10,000 times (typically 50) smaller than their lateral size. Hall plates are used to detect magnetic field components along their thickness direction (i.e., the direction into the semiconductor substrate or perpendicular to a major surface of the semiconductor substrate). In silicon technology, Hall plates are typically 1 to 3 µm thick and 10 to 100 µm in size in lateral directions. The layout of Hall plates can be rectangular, square, circular, octagonal, cross-shaped, or even triangular.

[0005] Vertical Hall-effect devices (VHalls) are thicker devices in which one of their lateral dimensions is comparable (e.g., 0.2 times to 10 times) to their dimension in the thickness direction (i.e., the direction into the semiconductor substrate or perpendicular to a major surface of the semiconductor substrate). Vertical Hall-effect devices are often in the form of long strips, usually straight, sometimes curved, arc-shaped, or even annular. Vertical Hall devices are used to detect magnetic field components parallel to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate.

[0006] Four-terminal Hall-effect devices can be operated in a spinning-current mode. In the first operating phase, a supply current is applied through one pair of terminals, and a voltage is measured at a second pair of terminals. In the second operating phase, the first and second pairs of terminals are reversed, and finally, the voltages of both operating phases are combined (added or subtracted) to obtain a composite signal. The zero-field error of this composite signal can be referred to as the residual offset.

[0007] Hall effect sensors with eight contacts were described, operating in a spinning-current mode. In each operating phase of the spinning-current mode, current flows between two diagonally opposite contacts, and a signal is tapped from only one contact pair, which operates at a common-mode potential of 50% of the supply voltage. The remaining four contacts are not used in this operating phase. Using eight contacts reduces the residual offset.

[0008] Furthermore, Hall plates with four contacts are known, and it has been described that such Hall plates have a maximum signal-to-noise ratio when they are symmetrical and when the contacts are neither too small nor too large.

[0009] US patent 2016 / 0061912A1 discloses a reverb plate excitation system comprising a power source, a switching network, and a controller. The power source is configured to apply an excitation current to the reverb plate. The switching network is configured to connect the power source to each of a plurality of terminals of the reverb plate once in each spinning cycle.

[0010] DE 10 2013 205 313 ​​A1 discloses a Hall sensor comprising a first pair of Hall elements that provides a first measurement signal. The Hall sensor further comprises a second pair of Hall elements that provides a second measurement signal. The Hall element also comprises at least a third pair of Hall elements that provides a third measurement signal. The Hall elements of the third pair are arranged between the Hall elements of the first and second pairs. The Hall element pairs can be controlled such that the first, second, and third measurement signals can be combined into a single measurement signal that corrects an error in the rotation angle determination caused by an external magnetic field.

[0011] There is a need for alternative Hall sensor devices and methods for detecting a magnetic field that enable an improved signal-to-noise ratio.

[0012] Examples of the present disclosure provide a Hall sensor device with a Hall effect region having at least five contacts, which are wired to at least five terminals, wherein none of the at least five contacts is wired to more than one of the at least five terminals, a supply circuit, and a detection circuit. In a first operating phase, a supply current enters the Hall effect region through a single terminal of the at least five terminals and exits the Hall effect region through at least one of the at least five terminals, or enters the Hall effect region through at least one of the at least five terminals and exits the Hall effect region through a single terminal of the at least five terminals, and two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected between any two of the at least five terminals.The detection circuit is designed to combine the detected differential signals into a single overall signal.

[0013] Examples of the present disclosure provide a method for detecting a magnetic field using a Hall sensor device with a Hall effect region having at least five contacts, each wired to at least five terminals, wherein none of the at least five contacts is wired to more than one of the at least five terminals. During an operating phase, a supply current is generated through the Hall effect region, wherein the supply current enters the Hall effect region through a single terminal of the at least five terminals and exits the Hall effect region through at least one of the at least five terminals, or enters the Hall effect region through at least one of the at least five terminals and exits the Hall effect region through a single terminal of the at least five terminals.Two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are acquired between any two of the at least five terminals. The acquired differential signals are combined into a single overall signal.

[0014] In examples described in this disclosure, at least two Hall signals are thus acquired in the form of differential signals while the same supply current is generated through the Hall effect region during an operating phase, which enables an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio. Since the Hall signals are acquired at different common-mode potentials, their noise can be at least partially statistically independent of one another, so that combining the Hall signals allows for an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio. In further examples, a larger number of contacts may be provided, whereby during an operating phase more than two pairs of terminals may be coupled to the acquisition circuit as acquisition pairs in order to acquire more than two Hall signals in the form of differential signals at different common-mode potentials. This allows the signal-to-noise ratio to be increased even further.

[0015] In some examples, Hall signals can be detected at different common-mode potentials by arranging the contacts, which serve as both supply and detection contacts. A straight virtual line connecting the contacts of the first detection pair is called the first virtual line. A straight virtual line connecting the contacts of the second detection pair is called the second virtual line. A straight virtual line connecting two contacts to terminals connected to the supply circuit is called the third virtual line. Detection signals at different common-mode potentials can be achieved if the first and second virtual lines intersect the third virtual line at different points.Thus, the current between the two contacts connected to the supply circuit traverses a potential gradient between the intersection of the first and third virtual lines and the intersection of the second and third virtual lines (i.e., between the first and second Hall signals). This means the first Hall signal is detected at a different common-mode potential than the second Hall signal. In other words, the different Hall signals are detected at different positions along the current path of the supply current through the Hall effect region. Therefore, the same current, or current line, passes through two regions and generates a Hall voltage in each region, which is then measured by a pair of contacts in each region. This current line is thus used twice, allowing for the generation of a maximum output signal with minimal electrical power.

[0016] Examples are thus based on the idea of ​​capturing more than one output signal in each operating phase, i.e., the same supply current between the same supply contacts, with the output signals being captured at different common-mode potentials.

[0017] In examples of the present disclosure, the Hall sensor device has a control circuit designed to selectively couple the at least five terminals to the supply circuit and the detection circuit in more than one operating phase, such that in each operating phase a supply current enters or exits the Hall effect region through a single terminal of the at least five terminals, and in each operating phase two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected.In some examples, the control circuit can be designed to connect a group of at least two terminals to the supply circuit and a first and second pair of terminals to the sensing circuit during the first operating phase. In a second operating phase, a different group of at least two terminals can be connected to the supply circuit, and two other pairs of terminals, different from the first and second pairs, can be connected to the sensing circuit as sensing pairs. Thus, examples of the present disclosure allow switching between different supply and sensing terminals in different operating phases. This makes it possible to achieve a reduction in residual offset, in addition to an increased signal-to-noise ratio, by combining the Hall signals obtained during the different operating phases.

[0018] In examples of the present disclosure, the terminals have N pairs of connections, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to three, wherein the control circuit is designed to perform spinning-current operation, wherein in each operating phase of the spinning-current operation a different pair of connections is coupled to the supply circuit as a supply pair and the remaining N-1 pairs are coupled to the sensing circuit as sensing pairs, wherein in the spinning-current operation the supply current is injected into the Hall-effect region through a different connection. This makes it possible to further reduce the residual offset.

[0019] In examples from the present disclosure, the Hall sensor device has 2N connections with 3 ≤ N, where N is a natural number. A larger number of connections allows for a better reduction of the residual offset in spinning-current operation. However, a larger number of connections and associated contacts reduces the distance between the individual contacts, resulting in the contacts being closer together. This reduces the statistical independence of the noise of the Hall signals acquired during an operating phase, and the majority of the current is drawn away from the Hall effect area by the short-circuiting effect of the contacts, thus reducing the strength of the Hall effect signal. It has been shown that a number of 2N connections with 3 ≤ N ≤ 6 enables both an improved signal-to-noise ratio and a reduced residual offset.

[0020] In examples from the present disclosure, during the first operating phase, a pair of terminals is coupled to the supply circuit as a supply pair, wherein the direction in which the contacts connected to the terminals of the supply pair are opposite each other is perpendicular to the directions in which the contacts connected to the terminals of the connecting pairs are opposite each other. In other words, a virtual line connecting the contacts connected to the terminals of a respective sensing pair is perpendicular to a virtual line connecting the contacts connected to the terminals of the supply pair. This makes it possible for the contacts assigned to a respective sensing pair to be at an isopotential level, so that the zero-field error (offset error) can be reduced or minimized.In examples, the terminals of a first contact and a second contact, whose distance to the first contact is greater than to all other contacts, are coupled to the supply circuit as a supply pair.

[0021] In some examples, a supply current is injected into the Hall effect region via contacts, resulting in a potential distribution over a planar area when the magnetic field vanishes. The contact pairs for signal acquisition can then lie on lines of constant potential. In these examples, there are at least two contact pairs for signal acquisition that lie on two different lines. In these examples, the common-mode potentials of M signal contact pairs are at least Vsup / (M+1) / 2 apart, with Vsup = max(V) - min(V) and V = electrical potential in the Hall effect region.

[0022] In examples, the connections can have 2N-1 connections, with N ≥ 3, where N is a natural number, wherein in the first operating phase three of the at least five connections are coupled to the supply circuit, wherein an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a first of the three connections and a third of the three connections is equal to an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a second of the three connections and a third of the three connections, and wherein in the first operating phase 2N-2 of the at least five connections form N-1 connection pairs, with signals at different common-mode potentials being detected at 2 ≤ M ≤ N-1 connection pairs. In each operating phase of a spinning-current operation, a different group of three connections can be coupled to the supply circuit.Thus, examples of the present disclosure enable Hall sensor devices with an odd number of connections.

[0023] In examples from the present disclosure, the contacts are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry through the Hall effect region and / or with respect to a geometric centroid of the Hall effect region. Such an arrangement enables a reduction of the residual offset, for example, in a spinning current operation.

[0024] In examples of this disclosure, the detection circuit is designed to combine the differential signals detected in one or more operating phases into a total signal based on a linear combination of the detected differential signals. It has been found that this results in an improved signal-to-noise ratio. In examples of this disclosure, weighting factors are used in the calculation of the linear combination, with differential signals detected at the same common-mode potential having equal weighting factors. The weighting factors can depend on the geometric arrangement of the contacts connected to the terminals of the detection pairs. The weighting factors can, for example, be determined in advance in test series and can be selected to achieve an optimal signal-to-noise ratio. In examples, the linear combination is an addition.It was surprisingly discovered that such an addition, in which weighting factors can be used, can achieve an increased signal-to-noise ratio.

[0025] In some examples, the acquisition device is designed to add the acquisition signals from all operating phases to obtain a final output signal. This makes it possible to achieve both an increased signal-to-noise ratio and a reduced residual offset.

[0026] In the examples, the contacts are arranged at a uniform angular distance around the perimeter of the Hall effect region. It has been shown that such an arrangement can simplify the calculation of the final output signal. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Examples of the present disclosure are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an example of a Hall sensor device with six terminals; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of another example of a Hall sensor device with six terminals; Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 schematic representations of an example of a Hall sensor device with six terminals, showing details of a power supply circuit and a detection circuit in different operating phases; Fig. 5 a schematic representation of a Hall sensor device with eight terminals; Fig. 6a-6h schematic diagrams to explain different operating phases of the in Fig. 5 Hall sensor device shown; Fig. 7 a schematic representation of an example of a Hall sensor device with five terminals; Fig. 8a-8e Schematic diagrams to explain different operating phases of the in Fig. 7 Hall sensor device shown; Fig. 9 a schematic representation of an example of a vertical Hall sensor device with six terminals and seven contacts; Fig. 10a-10c schematic diagrams to explain different operating phases of the in Fig. 9 Hall sensor device shown. Detailed description

[0028] Examples of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the drawings, identical elements or elements with the same functionality may be designated with the same or similar reference numerals, and a repeated description of such elements may be omitted. Therefore, descriptions for elements with the same or similar reference numerals may be interchangeable.

[0029] The following description sets forth a number of details to provide a thorough explanation of examples from this disclosure. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that examples from this disclosure can be put into practice without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in schematic cross-sectional or plan view rather than in detail, so as not to obscure the description of examples. Furthermore, features of the various examples described herein may be combined with other features of other examples, unless expressly stated otherwise herein.

[0030] Hall sensor devices, as described herein, may incorporate Hall effect elements. Hall effect elements may consist of one or more Hall effect regions with power supply and signal terminals. The Hall effect occurs within the Hall effect region, where the Lorentz force of the magnetic field exerts an electric Hall field on moving charge carriers. The moving charge carriers are supplied by an electrical power source connected to the power supply terminals. The output signal of the Hall effect element can be accessed at the signal terminals. Each terminal is connected to at least one contact for the Hall effect region, with the contacts being resistive, thus making the Hall effect element a purely resistive element.

[0031] In some examples, a Hall effect region can be a semiconductor region of a charge carrier type, such as a p-type or an n-type. In some examples, the semiconductor region is of an n-type due to the greater charge carrier mobility and the resulting higher Hall signal-to-noise ratio. In others, the semiconductor region can be formed within a semiconductor substrate, for example, as a well of one doping type within a semiconductor substrate of an opposite doping type. In some examples, both the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor region can be silicon-based. A contact can be a region with the same doping as the Hall effect region but a higher doping concentration. For example, a contact can have a doping concentration at least 10 times, at least 100 times, and up to 1000 times higher than that of the Hall effect region.Contacts can be implemented as contact wells, which can be manufactured technologically by diffusion or implantation. These contact wells can be connected to conductors (tracks) with metallic properties, for example, by tungsten contact plugs. Diffusion barriers with a thickness in the nanometer range, for example, made of titanium, can be provided. The conductors with metallic properties can be, for example, aluminum or copper alloys with low silicon content, or polysilicon, which can be siliconized or non-siliconized. The metallic conductors, also referred to as wiring, can extend from the Hall element to a circuit, where the conductors can branch out. At a point before such a branching, the conductors can be conceptually cut open, with this point of the conductor being referred to as a connection.

[0032] In some examples, each terminal is connected to a contact, i.e., wired. In other examples, one or more terminals may be connected to multiple contacts, i.e., wired. None of the contacts are connected to more than one terminal, i.e., wired. In some examples of the present disclosure, a control circuit is provided which includes switches to toggle between a power supply and a signal tap. In other examples, such switching is not necessary, so the corresponding terminals may be directly connected to the supply circuit or the sensing circuit via wires.

[0033] In examples from this disclosure, the Hall-effect region can be implemented by a Hall plate. As already explained, Hall plates are Hall-effect elements in the form of a plate whose thickness is small compared to its lateral dimensions. Hall plates are capable of capturing magnetic field components perpendicular to the plate (i.e., in its thickness direction). The plate can be parallel to the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, since the Hall-effect region can be implemented as a trough in the semiconductor substrate. Thus, the plate can capture fields perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate, for example, a chip. In examples, the Hall-effect region can be a vertical Hall-effect element where, as explained above, one of the lateral dimensions is comparable to the dimension in the thickness direction.Vertical Hall effect elements can be used to detect magnetic field components parallel to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, for example, the chip.

[0034] A supply circuit or bias circuit for a Hall effect element or Hall effect region can be understood here as an electronic circuit capable of supplying the Hall effect region with electrical energy in order to generate a supply current through the Hall effect region and thus moving charge carriers through the Hall effect region. A detection circuit or readout circuit for a Hall effect element or Hall effect region can be understood here as an electronic circuit capable of extracting at least one output signal from the Hall effect region. The supply circuit and / or the detection circuit can be implemented on the same semiconductor substrate as the Hall effect region or on a separate substrate.

[0035] A power supply circuit can be used to generate a current flow between the supply terminals of the Hall effect region. For example, current sources with infinitely high internal resistance can be used. Alternatively, voltage sources with infinitely low internal resistance or any intermediate values ​​with finite internal resistance can be used. The detection circuit can be designed to detect Hall signals. Hall signals can include voltages, which can be measured under open-circuit conditions with a voltmeter with infinitely high internal resistance. Hall signals can also include currents, which can be measured under short-circuit conditions with an ammeter with infinitely low internal resistance. All intermediate values ​​with finite internal resistance can also be used.

[0036] In some examples, the power supply circuit might be configured to apply a current using a current source, and the sensing circuit might be configured to detect voltages as Hall-effect signals, for example, using voltmeters. In other examples, the power supply circuit might be configured to apply a voltage using a voltage source, and the sensing circuit might be configured to detect currents as Hall-effect signals, for example, using ammeter circuits.

[0037] The detected Hall signals are differential signals. In some examples, a differential signal could be a voltage between two terminals. In others, a differential signal could be a current between two terminals. Therefore, in some examples, the detection circuit could be designed to detect a voltage between two terminals. In others, the detection circuit could be designed to detect a current between two terminals.

[0038] Examples of the disclosure relate to Hall sensor devices having Hall effect regions with at least five terminals. In particular, examples relate to Hall sensor devices that enable a higher Hall signal-to-noise ratio to be achieved with constant power consumption. Examples achieve this by sensing multiple Hall signals with different common-mode potentials during an operating phase. Examples further enable a lower residual offset error by swapping supply and signal terminals in different operating phases. Examples enable spinning-current operation, where spinning-current operation is understood to mean operation in which supply and signal terminals (sensing terminals) are swapped in different operating phases.In examples where the Hall effect area has a Hall plate, spinning current operation can be understood as operation in which the supply connections and the detection connections are reversed in such a way that a reversal of the current direction results.

[0039] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows an example of a Hall sensor device with a Hall effect area 10 in the form of a Hall plate. The Hall sensor device has at least five connections; in the example shown, six connections T1 to T6. Each of the connections T1-T6 is connected to a contact C1 to C6 for the Hall effect area 10. The Hall sensor device includes a power supply circuit 12 and a detection circuit 14.

[0040] Fig. Figure 1 shows a first operating phase in which two of the terminals T1 and T4 are connected to the supply circuit 12. Furthermore, a first pair 20, comprising terminals T2 and T6, and a second pair 22, comprising terminals T3 and T5, are connected as detection pairs to the detection circuit 14.

[0041] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, contacts C1 to C6 are arranged such that a straight virtual line E1, connecting contacts C2 and C6 assigned to the first terminal pair 20, intersects a straight virtual line V1, connecting contacts C1 and C4 assigned to supply terminals T1 and T4, at a first position P1. Contacts C1 to C6 are further arranged such that a virtual line E2, connecting contacts C3 and C5 assigned to the second terminal pair 22, intersects virtual line V1 at a second position P2, which differs from the first position P1. Thus, a first Hall signal detected between terminals T2 and T6 of the first pair 20 is at a different common-mode potential than a second Hall signal detected between terminals T3 and T5 of the second pair 22.The reason for this is that the same current flow generated between contacts C1 and C4 is used for both Hall signals, thus enabling energy efficiency. Since the Hall effect region is resistive, the current between the first and second Hall signals must traverse a potential difference. Therefore, both signals are detected at different common-mode potentials. The further apart the contacts where the two signals are tapped are in the direction of the virtual line V1, the greater the difference in the common-mode potential of the two signals.

[0042] To define the common-mode potential, consider terminal T2 at a potential V2 and terminal T6 at a potential V6. The common-mode potential is the average of the potentials of both terminals. When measuring a voltage, the difference signal is then given by V2 - V6, and the common-mode potential is given by (V2 + V6) / 2. In the case of a current measurement, the ammeter C2 short-circuits C6, so that V2 = V6. In this case as well, one can speak of the common-mode potential (V2 + V6) / 2.

[0043] For example, consider the in Fig. In the example shown, a Hall signal can typically be a signal tapped between two sensing terminals, for example, a voltage between them, i.e., the potential difference, such as V(T2) - V(T6). Furthermore, a corresponding common-mode potential (V(T2) + V(T6)) / 2 can be defined as the average of both terminal potentials. The corresponding common-mode potential with respect to terminals T3 and T5 is (V(T3) + V(T5)) / 2. Therefore, in the examples of the disclosure, the second Hall signal, which is tapped between terminals T3 and T5 (V(T3) - V(T5)), has a different common-mode potential than the first Hall signal, which is tapped between terminals T2 and T6.

[0044] At the in Fig. In the example shown, contacts C1-C6 are arranged at a uniform angular distance around the circumference of the Hall effect area 10. Furthermore, contacts C1-C5 are arranged symmetrically both with respect to an axis of symmetry through the Hall effect area and symmetrically with respect to a geometric center of the Hall effect area 10. In the example shown, where the Hall effect area 10 is a circular Hall plate, the geometric center of gravity is, for example, the center of the circle. Typically, the contacts are arranged near the edge of the Hall effect area. In some examples, the contacts can also be positioned further away from the edge of the Hall effect area, although this reduces the strength of the Hall effect signal.

[0045] At the in Fig. In the example shown, the connections have 6 pins. Generally, in examples, the Hall sensor device can have N pairs of pins, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 3. Fig. 1. N=3. A direction in which contacts T1 and T4, connected to the supply circuit 12, are opposite each other (direction of the virtual line V1) can be perpendicular to directions in which contacts C2 and C6 of the first detection pair 20 and contacts C3 and C5 of the second detection pair 22 are opposite each other (directions of lines E1 and E2). The distance between contacts C1 and C4 is greater than the distance of contact C1 to all other contacts. In general, each connection that is diametrically opposed to contacts across the Hall effect region can form a supply pair. Connections that are connected to contacts whose straight virtual connecting line is perpendicular to the virtual connecting line of the contacts of the supply pair can form a detection pair with respect to this supply pair.

[0046] In examples, the Hall sensor device has 2N contacts, with N ≥ 3, where two contacts are used to supply electrical energy to the Hall effect region. If the Hall effect region is symmetrical, the other contact pairs (2N-2 contacts) can be grouped into N-1 pairs of contacts, with the signal at each pair approaching zero when no magnetic field is applied and the offset error is neglected. Thus, in examples, N-1 output signals are used instead of just one output signal. The noise contributions of the output signals can be at least partially, and preferably substantially, statistically independent of each other and thus add up according to (N12+N22+N33+⋯+NN−12), when the signals are added (S1+S2+S3+... +S N-1 ). Thus, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved while only using a current flowing between the Nth contact pair, and therefore without additional power consumption.

[0047] At the in Fig. In the example shown, terminals T1 and T4 can be connected to the supply circuit 12 and terminals T2, T3, T5, and T6 to the detection circuit 14 without a switch. Such an example can be used when switching the terminals is not required, for example, when an alternating signal magnetic field (i.e., a dynamic, time-varying magnetic field) is to be detected instead of a DC signal magnetic field (i.e., a static magnetic field). In such a case, a control circuit designed to switch the supply and detection terminals is not necessary.

[0048] Fig. Figure 2 shows an example of a Hall sensor device, in which the Hall effect area 10 with terminals T1 to T6 and contacts C1-C6 corresponds to the one described in Fig. This corresponds to the Hall effect area shown in section 1. In the case of the Hall effect shown in section 1, the Hall effect area is described in section 1. Fig. In the second example shown, a control circuit 30 is additionally provided, which is designed to selectively connect terminals T1 to T6 to the power supply circuit 12 and the detection circuit 14. For this purpose, the control circuit 30 can have corresponding switches by which terminals T1 to T6 can be selectively connected to terminals of the power supply circuit 12 and the detection circuit 14. Otherwise, the above statements regarding Fig. 1 accordingly.

[0049] The Fig. 3 and Fig. Figure 4 shows an example of a corresponding Hall sensor device with a Hall effect area 10 and six contacts C1 to C6 in two different operating phases.

[0050] For the sake of simplicity, in Fig. 4 the Hall effect area 10 opposite Fig. 3 rotated 60° to the left. Furthermore, in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 a control device with corresponding switches to effect the switching of the respective connections, not shown for the sake of simplicity.

[0051] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the supply circuit can be implemented using a current source 32 designed to generate a supply current I between the respective contacts of the semiconductor area 10. The detection circuit includes two transconductance amplifiers 34 and 36.

[0052] At the in Fig. In the operating phase shown in Figure 3, terminals T1 and T4 serve as supply terminals, and the current source 32 is connected between these terminals. Terminals T2 and T6 serve as the first detection pair and are connected to the inputs of the transconductance amplifier 34. Terminals T3 and T5 serve as the second detection pair and are connected to the inputs of the second transconductance amplifier 36. The output current of the first transconductance amplifier 34 depends on the voltage U1 between its input terminals and its gain gm1: I1 = gm1 · U1. The output current I2 of the transconductance amplifier 36 depends on the voltage U2 between its input terminals and its gain gm2: I2 = gm2 · U2. The currents I1 and I2 are summed at a summing node 38, resulting in an output current I out (ph1) for the first operational phase, which takes place in Fig. 3 is shown.

[0053] At the in Fig. In the operating phase shown in Figure 3, a current flows between contacts C1 and C4, while two signals are tapped: one signal between terminals T2 and T6, and the other between terminals T3 and T5. Ideally, due to the symmetry of the element, both pairs T2-T6 and T3-T5 have no output signal when no magnetic field is applied and exhibit vanishing offset error. The transconductance amplifiers can be formed by differential-input MOS transistor pairs of preamplifiers for analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), for example, sigma-delta ADCs. The transconductance amplifiers convert the signal from the voltage domain to the current domain. The signs must be observed, with the potentials at T5 and T6 being positive relative to I. out (ph1) add up, whereas the potentials at T2 and T3 of I out (ph1) subtract.

[0054] The in Fig. The operating phase shown in Figure 3 can be considered operating phase ph1 of a spinning current operation. To further reduce and ideally eliminate offset errors, additional operating phases can be added. For example, Figure 3 shows... Fig. 4. A second operating phase ph2, in which the current source 32 is connected between terminals T2 and T5, while the first output signal is tapped between terminals T1 and T3 and the second output signal is tapped between terminals T4 and T6. The detection signal I is then present at the output of the summing node 38. out (ph2) for the operating phase ph2.

[0055] To further reduce the offset error, additional operating phases can be added, with the current being injected into one of the contacts C1 to Cn in each phase. For example, in the first operating phase, the current can be injected into contact C1, in the second into contact C2, in the third into contact C3, in the fourth into contact C4, in the fifth into contact C5, and in the sixth into contact C6. Thus, in some examples, a spinning-current operation can be implemented, where the input current in phase n is injected into contact Cn. Ideally, the input current I should be identical in all operating phases. Due to the symmetry of the Hall plate, gm1 should ideally also equal gm2.In examples, the control circuit can thus be designed to perform a spinning current operation, wherein in each operating phase of the spinning current operation the supply current is injected into a different one of the contacts, and wherein in the spinning current operation the supply current is injected into each of the contacts at least once.

[0056] It goes without saying that the control circuit naturally includes corresponding switches to connect the supply current source 32 and the transconductance amplifiers 34 and 36 to the various connections of the Hall effect region, these switches in turn being located in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are not shown.

[0057] In examples from the present disclosure, the detection circuit is configured to add up the signals in all individual operating phases of the spinning current operation in order to obtain an overall output signal, for example I out (total) = I out (ph1)+I out (ph2)+...+I out (ph6). In examples, it may be possible to omit individual operating phases, but the minimum number of operating phases in examples of the present disclosure is such that each contact pair that served as a supply contact pair in one operating phase also serves as a sensing contact pair in another operating phase. Conversely, each contact pair that served as a sensing contact pair in one operating phase should serve as a supply contact pair in another operating phase.

[0058] Other examples of the present disclosure may have a different number of connections. For example, Hall sensor devices may have four contact pairs, each connected to corresponding terminals, with one pair serving as a supply pair in each operating phase, while three pairs are simultaneously used as output pairs. In a device with 2N contacts, a supply contact pair may be understood to be two contacts that are diametrically opposed across the Hall effect region. Thus, in the device described in Fig. In the example shown, the contact pair C1-C4 is a supply pair, the contact pair C2-C5 is a supply pair, the contact pair C3-C6 is a supply pair, the contact pair C4-C1 is a supply pair, the contact pair C5-C2 is a supply pair and the contact pair C6-C3 is a supply pair.

[0059] Similarly, Hall sensor devices can also have a larger number of terminals and associated contacts, for example, five terminal pairs, six terminal pairs, and so on. However, if the number of terminal pairs becomes too large, the associated contacts become very small, as does the distance between them. The number of terminal pairs can therefore be limited by the minimum feature size for a given technology. The number of switches and wiring also increases with the number of contacts. It has been shown that both a good signal-to-noise ratio and a low residual offset error can be achieved with Hall sensor devices with between three and six terminal pairs.

[0060] Fig. Figure 5 shows an example of a Hall sensor device having eight terminals T1 to T8 with associated contacts. Four pairs of these contacts are diametrically opposed across a Hall effect area 50. The Hall effect area 50 of the Hall sensor device is octagonal. The eight contacts C1-C8 are distributed at equal angular intervals around the perimeter of the Hall effect area 50. Each of the contacts C1 to C8 is connected to one of the terminals T1 to T8.

[0061] A supply circuit 30, configured to selectively couple terminals T1 to T8 with the supply circuit 12 and the detection circuit 14, can again be provided. The supply circuit 30 can, in turn, have corresponding switches for this purpose.

[0062] Each pair of diametrically opposed contacts serves as the supply pair, while the remaining contacts serve for data collection. For example, let's assume that contacts C1 and C5 in Fig. 5 form the supply pair, with a straight virtual line V1 connecting the two contacts C1 and C5. Furthermore, contacts C2 and C8 form a first sensing pair, contacts C3 and C7 a second sensing pair, and contacts C4 and C6 a third sensing pair. A straight virtual line E1 connects contacts C2 and C8, a straight virtual line E2 connects contacts C3 and C7, and a straight virtual line E3 connects contacts C4 and C6. As in Fig. As can be seen in section 5, the virtual lines E1, E2 and E3 are each perpendicular to the virtual line V1.

[0063] In known Hall sensor devices, a signal was tapped at only one contact pair at a time, which, at a common-mode potential of approximately 50% of the voltage applied or dropped between the supply contacts C1 and C5, is located between contacts C3 and C7, assuming that contacts C1 and C5 are coupled to the supply circuit 12. In contrast, in examples disclosed, a Hall signal is tapped between several contact pairs while the same supply current is generated through the Hall effect region. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the virtual lines E1, E2, and E3 intersect the virtual line V1 at different positions, so that the three Hall signals are detected at different common-mode potentials. This has been shown to result in an increased signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, compared to a Hall sensor device with four contacts, an improved signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved with lower power consumption, since the input resistance of the eight-contact Hall sensor device at the supply contacts is higher than that of the four-contact device, while the output resistance through the three pairs of detection contacts is lower than that of the four-contact device. This resulted in an improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 16% with a reduction in power consumption of approximately 33%.

[0064] In some examples, the acquisition circuit is designed to calculate a linear combination of the output signals obtained during an operating phase. For example, such a calculation can be performed in the Fig. The state shown in section 5, where contacts C1-C5 serve as supply contacts, looks like this: V out =V out (T2-T8)+V out (T3-T7)+V out (T4-T6). However, since the noise voltages of all contact pairs are somewhat correlated, it is possible to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio by using weighting factors in the linear combination, such as: V out' =V out (T2-T8)+x·V out (T3-T7)+V out (T4-T6), where the weighting factor x can, for example, take a value between 0 and 2. In further examples, the other output signals can also be assigned a weighting factor, which in the Fig. However, in the example shown in Figure 5, the weighting factors would be the same due to symmetry. The weighting factors can be determined empirically, for example, through test runs. For an octagonal Hall effect area, it has been found that a weighting factor x between 0.6 and 0.7, for example 0.65, can yield a maximum signal-to-noise ratio. Theoretically, the optimal weighting factors for maximum signal-to-noise ratio depend on the statistical correlation of the noise voltages at the detection contact pairs and are thus a function of the geometry of the Hall effect area and the contacts.

[0065] By using such weighting factors, it is therefore possible to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0066] To further reduce the residual offset error, in examples from this disclosure, the connections used as supply and sensing connections can again be reversed, for example, to implement spinning current operation. In each operating phase, one pair of connections (and their associated contacts) serves as the supply pair, while the other pairs of connections (and their associated contacts) serve as the sensing pairs. Fig. Figures 6a to 6d show eight operating phases of a Hall sensor device as used in Fig. Figure 5 shows the connections that act as a supply pair, with arrow V indicating the connections that function as a supply pair. In phase 1, the connection pair T1-T5 acts as the supply pair ( Fig. 6a), in phase 2 the connection pair T6-T2 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6b), in phase 3 the connection pair T7-T3 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6c), in phase 4 the connection pair T8-T4 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6d), in phase 5 the connection pair T1-T5 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6e), in phase 6 the connection pair T2-T6 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6f), in phase 7 the connection pair T3-T7 acts as a supply pair ( Fig. 6g), and in phase 8 the T4-T8 connection pair acts as the supply pair ( Fig. 6h). Thus, it revolves, like the Fig. As can be readily seen from diagrams 6a to 6h, the supply current changes by 45° in each operating phase. Furthermore, each connection acts as the supply connection in an operating phase, at whose associated contact the supply current enters the Hall effect region 50. In each operating phase, three output signals are also tapped, as indicated by the respective arrows Uhall_1, Uhall_2 and Uhall_3 in the diagrams. Fig. 6a to 6h are shown. Only four operating phases, as described in the examples, can be used. Fig. Figures 6a to 6d are shown. In other examples, eight operating phases can be used, as described in the Fig. Figures 6a to 6h show that in operating phases 5 to 8 the current flow direction is reversed compared to operating phases 1 to 4, which in practice leads to a reduction of the offset error due to thermal fault voltages caused by the Seebeck and Peltier effects.

[0067] A total of 24 output signals result when using all eight operating phases. In the following discussion, the designations U1 to U8 represent the potentials at terminals T1 to T8. Since the current flow direction is reversed in operating phases 4 to 8 compared to operating phases 1 to 4, the voltages must also be reversed.

[0068] The 24 output signals PH1'-PH24' were obtained as follows, as shown in the Fig. 6a to 6h can be seen: Ph1': Uhall_1=U8-U2 sampled with a current flow from T5 to T1 Ph2': Uhall_2=U7-U3 sampled with a current flow from T5 to T1 Ph3': Uhall_3=U6-U4 sampled with a current flow from T5 to T1 Ph4': Uhall_1=U1-U3 sampled with a current flow from T6 to T2 Ph5': Uhall_2=U8-U4 sampled with a current flow from T6 to T2 Ph6': Uhall_3=U7-U5 sampled with a current flow from T6 to T2 Ph7': Uhall_1=U2-U4 sampled with a current flow from T7 to T3 Ph8': Uhall_2=U1-U5 sampled with a current flow from T7 to T3 Ph9': Uhall_3=U8-U6 sampled with a current flow from T7 to T3 Ph10': Uhall_1=U3-U5 sampled with a current flow from T8 to T4 Ph11': Uhall_2=U2-U6 sampled with a current flow from T8 to T4 Ph12': Uhall_3=U1-U7 sampled with a current flow from T8 to T4 Ph13': Uhall_1=U4-U6 sampled with a current flow from T1 to T5 Ph14': Uhall_2=U3-U7 sampled with a current flow from T1 to T5 Ph15': Uhall_3=U2-U8 sampled with a current flow from T1 to T5 Ph16': Uhall_1=U5-U7 sampled with a current flow from T2 to T6 Ph17': Uhall_2=U4-U8 sampled with a current flow from T2 to T6 Ph18': Uhall_3=U3-U1 sampled with a current flow from T2 to T6 Ph19': Uhall_1=U6-U8 sampled with a current flow from T3 to T7 Ph20': Uhall_2=U5-U1 sampled with a current flow from T3 to T7 Ph21': Uhall_3=U4-U2 sampled with a current flow from T3 to T7 Ph22': Uhall_1=U7-U1 sampled with a current flow from T4 to T8 Ph23': Uhall_2=U6-U2 sampled with a current flow from T4 to T8 Ph24': Uhall_3=U5-U3 sampled with a current flow from T4 to T8

[0069] In some examples, the acquisition device can be configured to calculate a linear combination of the output signals acquired during an operating phase, for example, using weighting factors as described above. In alternative examples, the evaluation circuit can be designed to combine only two of the three output signals in each operating phase, for example, only output signals Uhall_1 and Uhall_3 in each operating phase. It has been shown that an improved signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained by combining all output signals Uhall_1, Uhall_2, and Uhall_3 acquired during an operating phase, or by combining only two output signals acquired during an operating phase, for example, Uhall_1 and Uhall_3.

[0070] In some examples, the acquisition circuit can also be configured to combine the operating phase output signals obtained for each operating phase, for example by adding them to obtain an overall output signal.

[0071] Overall, it has been shown that using a suitable Hall sensor device results in an approximately 20% better signal-to-noise ratio and a residual offset that is twice as good. Particularly at low supply voltages, i.e., low supply currents, examples of the present disclosure enable a better residual offset, since lower bias voltages mean a lower signal-to-noise ratio, so that the improved signal-to-noise ratio of the method disclosed herein becomes more pronounced.

[0072] In the examples of the present disclosure, an odd number of connections may be provided. Fig. Figure 7 shows an example of a Hall effect sensor with an odd number of contacts and associated terminals, namely five.

[0073] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, the Hall sensor device has a Hall effect area 60 in the form of a regular pentagon. A contact C1 to C5 is formed at each corner of the Hall effect area 60. Alternatively, the contacts could also be located at the midpoints of the sides of the pentagon, or even offset clockwise (or counterclockwise) from the midpoints – with a higher degree of symmetry of the arrangement tending to result in smaller offset errors. Each contact C1 to C5 is connected to an associated terminal T1 to T5. Analogous to the description above of the Fig. 2 and Fig. The terminals T1 to T5 can be selectively coupled to the respective terminals of a supply circuit 12 and a detection circuit 14 by means of a control circuit 30. The control circuit 30 is optional; for example, in a case where an alternating magnetic field is to be detected, switching to reverse the functionalities of the supply and detection terminals is not necessary.

[0074] A group of two terminals connected to adjacent contacts, and a third terminal connected to a contact between which and each of the adjacent contacts is a further contact, are coupled to the supply circuit. For example, this shows Fig. 8a A first operating phase in which the group of connections T1, T5 and T3 is coupled to the supply circuit. The supply circuit has two separate current sources 62, 64 and a reference potential connection 65, for example ground, as shown in Fig. Figure 8a shows this. More precisely, each of the terminals T1 and T5 is coupled to one of the separate current sources 62 and 64, while terminal T3 is coupled to the reference potential terminal.

[0075] The two adjacent terminals, which are coupled to the separate power sources 62 and 64, are further connected to the detection circuit (in the Fig. (8a to 8e not shown) coupled to produce a first Hall signal V 1Hto detect. Between contacts C1 and C3 (along the perimeter of the Hall effect area) another contact C2 is arranged, and between contacts C3 and C5 another contact C4 is arranged. The terminals T2 and T4 connected to contacts C2 and C4 are also coupled to the detection circuit to transmit a second Hall signal V between them. 1L To detect the Hall effect, a preferably identical supply current I is fed into the Hall effect region 60 through both terminals T1 and T5, which are connected to the current sources 62 and 64, and flows out of the Hall effect region via terminal T3. Hall signals are tapped between the detection pairs T1-T5 and T2-T4. Thus, in this example, the potentials at those two terminals T1 and T5, where current is supplied, are also used to tap a Hall signal, for example, a voltage. The Hall signal V 1H, which is tapped at terminals T1-T5, is at a different common-mode potential than the Hall signal V 1LThe current, which is tapped at terminals T2-T4, passes through a potential difference between the two signals via contacts C1 and C5. Here, too, a virtual straight line E1 between the contacts of the first detection pair and a virtual straight line E2 between the contacts of the second detection pair intersect virtual lines V1 and V2, respectively. These lines intersect a contact where current is injected into Hall-effect region 60 and a contact where the current exits Hall-effect region 60, at different positions. Virtual line E1 essentially coincides with an edge of Hall-effect region 60. It should be added that each current source can be replaced by a voltage source, and the signals between terminals T1-T5 and T2-T4 can be measured using an ammeter instead of a voltmeter. In this case as well, both signals are at different common-mode potentials.

[0076] A control circuit 30 can in turn be provided to switch between different operating phases. For this purpose, the control device 30 can have switches to selectively couple terminals T1 to T5 to the sensing circuit and the supply circuit. The control circuit can be designed to implement a spinning-current operation, as described below with reference to the Fig. Sections 8a to 8e are described. In the Fig. 8a to 8e each show only closed switches 70, which couple the respective group of three terminals to the supply circuit 12.

[0077] How the Fig. As can be seen from sections 8a to 8e, the control circuit can be designed to couple a different group of three terminals to the supply circuit in each operating phase of the spinning current operation. In phase 1, terminals T1, T5, and T3 are coupled to the supply circuit ( Fig. 8a), in phase 2 the connections T5, T4 and T2 are coupled to the supply circuit ( Fig. 8b), in phase 3 the connections T4, T3 and T1 are coupled to the supply circuit ( Fig. 8c), in phase 4 the connections T3, T2 and T5 are coupled to the supply circuit ( Fig. 8d) and in phase 5 the connections T2, T1 and T4 are coupled to the supply circuit ( Fig. 8e). A first Hall signal is tapped between the terminals connected to the separate power sources 62 and 64, and a second Hall signal is tapped between the terminals not connected to the supply circuit. In phase 1, a first Hall signal V 1H A second Hall signal V is tapped between terminals T1 and T5. 1L The signal is tapped between terminals T2 and T4. In phase 2, a first Hall signal V is generated. 2HA second Hall signal V is tapped between terminals T5 and T4. 2L The signal is tapped between terminals T1 and T3. In phase 3, a first Hall signal V is generated. 3H A second Hall signal V is tapped between terminals T3 and T4. 3L The signal is tapped between terminals T2 and T5. In phase 4, a first Hall signal V is generated. 4H A second Hall signal V is tapped between terminals T3 and T2. 4L The signal is tapped between terminals T4 and T1. In phase 5, a first Hall signal V is generated. 5H A second Hall signal V is tapped between terminals T2 and T1. 5L The signal is taken between terminals T3 and T5.

[0078] In the spinning current method, as it is used in the Fig. As shown in Figures 8a to 8e, each pair of adjacent contacts is thus coupled to the supply circuit at least once in the five phases. Furthermore, a different group of three terminals is coupled to the supply circuit in each operating phase of the spinning current operation.

[0079] A total output signal can be calculated from the acquired Hall signals as follows: V ges =V 1H +V 2H +V 3H +V 4H +V 5H +x(V 1L +V 2L +V 3L +V 4L +V 5L ).

[0080] The Hall signals that have the letter L in the index are each recorded at a different common-mode potential than the signals that have the letter H in the index.

[0081] The letter x in the equation above can represent a weighting coefficient, which ideally can be 1. This weighting coefficient can be empirically determined through a series of tests and can lead to a maximum signal-to-noise ratio. The currents supplied by the separate current sources 62 and 64 are preferably identical. In alternative examples, the supplied currents can also be different.

[0082] In the described example, one of the three contacts connected to the power supply circuit is connected to ground. Alternatively, a high potential can be applied to this connection, and the polarity of the current sources can be inverted. This would allow for the implementation of additional operating phases, for example, five more operating phases, whose output signals could then be combined with the output signals obtained from the other operating phases.

[0083] In the examples described so far, the reverberation areas are implemented using reverb plates. In alternative examples, the reverberation areas can be implemented using vertical reverb elements.

[0084] Fig. Figure 9 schematically shows an example of a vertical Hall effect area 80 in the form of a strip in plan view (i.e. perpendicular to the main surface 84 of the substrate according to Fig. 10a), wherein seven contacts C1-C7 are arranged side by side along a straight line. The seven contacts are connected to six terminals, with contacts C1 and C7 being connected via a connection 81 outside the Hall effect region 80 to a common terminal T1, while each of the contacts C2 to C6 has its own terminal T2 to T6. Thus, the two outermost contacts are connected to a common terminal.

[0085] The Hall effect region 80 can in turn be formed by a doped semiconductor well in a semiconductor substrate, for example an n - -Tub in a p-substrate. Fig. Figure 10a schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the Hall effect region 80 in a semiconductor substrate 82, which has a main surface 84. The Hall sensor device, which includes the vertical Hall element, is designed to detect magnetic field components B parallel to the main surface 84. The Hall sensor device has a power supply circuit in the form of a current source 90 and a reference potential connection 92, for example, ground. The Hall sensor device also has a detection circuit which is located in the Fig. Figures 10a to 10c illustrate two voltage meters, 94 and 96. Two of the terminals are connected to the supply circuit during an operating phase, while the other four terminals are connected to the sensing circuit.

[0086] Fig. Figure 10a shows a first operating phase in which terminals T1 and T4 are connected to the supply circuit, while terminals T2 and T6 form a first sensing pair and terminals T3 and T5 form a second sensing pair. Terminal T1 is connected to the current source 90 of the supply circuit and terminal T4 is connected to the reference potential terminal 92. The current source 90 supplies a current I1, which flows through contacts C1 and C7 into the Hall effect area 80 and to contact C4, as indicated by arrows 98 in Figure 10a. Fig. As indicated in Figure 10a, a first Hall signal V1 is detected between terminals T2 and T6, and a second Hall signal V2 is detected between terminals T3 and T5. Thus, during one operating phase, two output signals are detected with the same current through the Hall effect region. Due to the arrangement of the contacts in the Hall effect region, the output signals are detected at different common-mode potentials.

[0087] Again, a control circuit with corresponding switches, which are located in the Fig. 10a to 10c, which are not shown, are intended to switch the functionality of the connections in other operating phases. Thus, the Fig. 10b and Fig. 10c a second operating phase and a third operating phase.

[0088] In the second operational phase, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 10b, terminals T2 and T5 are connected to the supply circuit, while terminals T1 and T3 are connected to the first sensing pair and terminals T4 and T6 to the second sensing pair. The sensing circuit is again schematically represented by voltmeters 94 and 96. Terminal T2 is connected to the current source 90 of the supply circuit, and terminal T5 is connected to the reference potential terminal 92. The current source 90 generates a current I2, which enters the Hall effect region 80 through contact C2 and from there flows directly and via contacts C1 and C7, as well as the connection 81 between these contacts, to contact C5, as indicated by arrows 98a in Figure 10b. Fig. As indicated in 10b. During the second operating phase, two Hall signals are also detected at different common-mode potentials, namely a third Hall signal V3 between contacts T1 and T3 and a second Hall signal V4 between contacts T4 and T6.

[0089] In the third operational phase, which takes place in Fig. As shown in Figure 10c, terminals T3 and T6 are connected to the supply circuit, and terminals T1, T2, T4, and T5 are connected to the sensing circuit. More precisely, terminal T3 is connected to the current source 90, which generates a current I4 that enters the semiconductor area 80 via contact C3 and flows directly, or via contacts C1 and C7 and the external connection 81 thereof, to contact C6. This is indicated by arrows 98b in Figure 10c. Fig. 10c is indicated. Terminal T6 is coupled to reference potential 92. In the third operating phase, two Hall signals are also detected at different common-mode potentials: a first Hall signal V5 between terminals T2 and T4, and a second Hall signal V6 between terminals T1 and T5.

[0090] In a spinning current operation, one can choose between the three in the Fig. The operating phases shown in 10a to 10c are switched, with the currents I1, I2 and I3 preferably being equal such that: I1=I2=I3. An output signal can then be calculated as follows: V total =V1+V2+V3+V4+V5+V6. As explained above regarding other examples, weighting factors can also be empirically determined here, which can lead to an optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio, and with which the respective recorded voltages can be multiplied before adding them together.

[0091] Even when referring to the Fig. In the examples described in sections 9 to 10, the current and voltage directions can be inverted to generate alternative or additional operating phases. For example, in the first operating phase, terminal T4 can be connected to the current source, while terminal T1 is connected to the reference potential. Alternatively, in the first operating phase, terminal T4 could be connected to a high potential, and the current direction of current source 90 could be inverted. The Hall signals obtained in such additional or alternative operating phases could also be combined with the Hall signals obtained in the other operating phases to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the residual offset error.

[0092] In some examples, the acquired differential signals can be combined for each operating phase, and then the resulting signals can be combined across all operating phases. In others, the differential signals obtained across all operating phases can be combined without first combining the differential signals for each operating phase. In still others, individual differential signals across all operating phases can first be combined, and then the resulting signals can be combined. For example, referring to the Fig. 6a - 6h: all Uhall_1 signals are combined across eight phases, followed by all Uhall_2 signals, and likewise all Uhall_3 signals. Only then could the three resulting signals be combined, for example, with different weighting factors. Thus, the overall signal can be a linear combination of the individual signals, where all individual signals at the same common-mode potential have identical weighting factors in magnitude.

[0093] In the examples, the difference signals are combined so that the absolute values ​​of all weighting factors in the linear combination are identical, i.e., they have the same weight. They can then be added or (partially) subtracted.

[0094] In examples from the present disclosure, the current flowing into the Hall-effect region through one of the two contacts of a supply pair corresponds to the current flowing out of the Hall-effect region through the other of the two contacts of the supply pair. Examples of this are those in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 Hall sensor devices shown.

[0095] In examples from the present disclosure, the supply current enters the Hall effect region via exactly one single connection and exits the Hall effect region via exactly one other single connection. Thus, the supply current can enter the Hall effect region entirely via one connection and exit entirely through another connection.

[0096] Examples of the present disclosure have been described above, particularly with reference to Hall sensor devices. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the description of the respective functionalities of the Hall sensor devices constitutes a description of the steps of a method for detecting a magnetic field using a Hall sensor device. Examples of the present disclosure thus provide corresponding methods for detecting a magnetic field using a Hall sensor device having a Hall effect region and at least five terminals, each of which is connected to at least one contact for the Hall effect region.The method comprises, during an operating phase, connecting a group of at least two terminals to a power supply circuit to generate a supply current through the Hall effect region, and connecting a first and second pair of terminals as sensing pairs to a sensing circuit to detect a first Hall signal between the terminals of the first pair and a second Hall signal between the terminals of the second pair at a different common-mode potential than the first Hall signal. By detecting two Hall signals with the same supply current, an increased signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved with reduced power consumption.

[0097] In examples of a method of the present disclosure, in a second operating phase, a second group of terminals, which is different from the first group, is coupled to the supply circuit, and two other pairs of terminals, different from the first and second pairs, are coupled to the sensing circuit as sensing pairs.

[0098] In examples of the method disclosed herein, a spinning-current operation can be carried out with a Hall sensor device having N pairs of terminals, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 3, wherein in each operating phase of the spinning-current operation one pair of the terminals is coupled to the supply circuit as a supply pair and the remaining N-1 pairs are coupled to the sensing circuit as sensing pairs, wherein in the spinning-current operation each of the N pairs serves as a supply pair at least once, and wherein in each operating phase of the spinning-current operation the supply current is fed into the Hall effect area through a different terminal.

[0099] In examples of the method disclosed herein, a detection signal can be generated for each operating phase, based on a linear combination of the Hall signals detected during each operating phase. In examples of the method disclosed herein, weighting factors that depend on the geometric arrangement of the contacts connected to the terminals of the detection pairs can be used in calculating the linear combination. In some examples, the linear combination is an addition. In others, the detection signals of all operating phases are added. In other examples, other linear combinations, such as subtraction, can be used.

[0100] Although examples with a specific number of contacts and connections have been described with reference to the figures, it is clear that other examples may have a different number of contacts and connections. Furthermore, it is clear that the Hall effect region may have shapes other than those described.

[0101] Although some aspects have been described in the context of a device, it is clear that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding methods for sensing a magnetic field, where a block or device may correspond to a process step or a feature of a process step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a process step may also represent a description of a corresponding block, item, or feature of a corresponding device. Some or all of the process steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as a microprocessor, a programmed computer, or an electronic circuit. In some examples, one or more of the process steps may be performed by such a device.In particular, in examples, the power supply circuit, the detection circuit and / or the control circuit can be implemented by any suitable circuit structures, such as microprocessor circuits, ASIC circuits, CMOS circuits and the like.

[0102] The examples described above are intended merely to illustrate the principles of this disclosure. It is understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of protection is to be defined solely by the following patent claims.

Claims

[1] Hall sensor device with the following features: a Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) with at least five contacts (C1 - C8) which are wired to at least five terminals (T1 - T8), wherein none of the at least five contacts (C1 - C8) is wired to more than one of the at least five terminals (T1 - T5); a supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92); and a detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), wherein the Hall sensor device is configured such that in a first operating phase a supply current enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections or enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8), and two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected between any two of the at least five connections (T1 - T5), wherein the detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96) is designed to combine the detected differential signals into a total signal. [2] Hall sensor device according to claim 1, comprising a control circuit (30), wherein the control circuit (30) is designed to selectively couple the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) with the supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92) and the detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96) in more than one operating phase, such that in each operating phase a supply current enters or exits the Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single terminal of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8), and in each operating phase two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected. [3] Hall sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit (30) is configured to couple, in the first operating phase, a group of at least two connections of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) to the supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92) and to couple a first and a second pair of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) to the sensing circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), and in a second operating phase to couple a group of at least two connections of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) different from the first group to the supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92), and two other pairs of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) different from the first and second pair to the sensing circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96). 96) to couple. [4] Hall sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) have N pairs of terminals, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 3, wherein the control circuit (30) is designed to perform a spinning current operation, wherein in each operating phase of the spinning current operation one pair of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) is coupled as a supply pair to the supply circuit (12, 32, 90, 92) and the remaining N-1 pairs are coupled as sensing pairs to the sensing circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), wherein in the spinning current operation each of the N pairs serves at least once as a supply pair, and wherein in each operating phase of the spinning current operation the supply current is fed into the Hall effect area (10, 50, 80) through another terminal. [5] Hall sensor device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the first operating phase one pair of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) is coupled as a supply pair to the supply circuit (12, 32, 90, 92), and two pairs of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) are coupled as sensing pairs to the sensing circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), wherein a direction in which the contacts connected to the terminals of the supply pair are opposite each other is perpendicular to directions in which the contacts connected to the terminals of the sensing pairs are opposite each other. [6] Hall sensor device according to claim 5, wherein the terminals of a first contact and a second contact, the distance to the first contact being greater than to all other contacts, are coupled as a supply pair to the supply circuit (12, 32). [7] Hall sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) have 2N-1 terminals, with N ≥ 3, where N is a natural number, wherein in the first operating phase three terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) are coupled to the supply circuit, wherein an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a first of the three terminals and a third of the three terminals and an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a second of the three terminals and the third of the three terminals is the same, and wherein in the first operating phase 2N-2 terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) form N-1 terminal pairs, wherein signals at different common-mode potentials are detected at 2 ≤ M ≤ N-1 terminal pairs. [8] Hall sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) have 2N-1 terminals, with N ≥ 3, where N is a natural number, wherein the control circuit is designed to couple three terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) to the supply circuit in each operating phase, wherein an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a first of the three terminals and a third of the three terminals is the same and an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a second of the three terminals and the third of the three terminals is the same, and wherein in each operating phase 2N-2 terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) form N-1 terminal pairs, wherein signals at different common-mode potentials are detected at 2 ≤ M ≤ N-1 terminal pairs. [9] Hall sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the contacts are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry through the Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) and / or with respect to a geometric center of gravity of the Hall effect area (10, 50, 80). [10] Hall sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96) is designed to combine the differential signals detected in one or each operating phase into an overall signal based on a linear combination of the detected differential signals. [11] Hall sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96) is designed to use weighting factors in a calculation of the linear combination, wherein differential signals detected on the same common-mode potential have equal weighting factors in magnitude. [12] Hall sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the contacts (C1 - C8) are arranged with a uniform angular spacing around the circumference of the Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80). [13] Method for detecting a magnetic field using a Hall sensor device with a Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) having at least five contacts (C1 - C8) which are wired to at least five terminals (T1 - T8), wherein none of the at least five contacts (C1 - C8) is wired to more than one of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8), wherein the method has the following features during an operating phase: Generating a supply current through the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80), wherein the supply current enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8) and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections, or enters the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through at least one of the at least five connections and exits the Hall effect region (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single connection of the at least five connections (T1 - T8); Detection of two differential signals at different common-mode potentials between any two of the at least five terminals (T1 - T5); and Combining the captured difference signals into a single overall signal. [14] Method according to claim 13, wherein in more than one operating phase the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) are selectively coupled to a supply circuit (12, 32, 62, 64, 65, 90, 92) and a detection circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), such that in each operating phase a supply current enters or exits the Hall effect area (10, 50, 60, 80) through a single terminal of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8), and in each operating phase two differential signals at different common-mode potentials are detected. [15] The method of claim 14, wherein the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) have N pairs of terminals, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 3, further comprising the following feature: Performing a spinning current operation, wherein in each operating phase of the spinning current operation one pair of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) is coupled as a supply pair to the supply circuit (12, 32, 90, 92) and the remaining N-1 pairs of the at least five terminals (T1 - T5) are coupled as sensing pairs to the sensing circuit (14, 34, 36, 94, 96), wherein in the spinning current operation each of the N pairs serves at least once as a supply pair, and wherein in each operating phase of the spinning current operation the supply current is fed into the Hall effect area (10, 50, 80) through a different terminal. [16] Method according to claim 14, wherein the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) have 2N-1 terminals, with N ≥ 3, where N is a natural number, wherein in each operating phase three terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) are coupled to the supply circuit, wherein an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a first of the three terminals and a third of the three terminals is the same and an electrical resistance through the Hall effect region between a second of the three terminals and the third of the three terminals is the same, and wherein in each operating phase 2N-2 terminals of the at least five terminals (T1 - T8) form N-1 terminal pairs, wherein signals at different common-mode potentials are detected at 2 ≤ M ≤ N-1 terminal pairs. [17] Method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the differential signals detected in one or each operating phase are combined to form an overall signal based on a linear combination of the detected differential signals. [18] Method according to claim 17, wherein weighting factors are used in a calculation of the linear combination, wherein difference signals that are detected on the same common-mode potential have weighting factors of equal magnitude.

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