Discovery Teaching Labs - Hall Effect Measurement in Germanium

Hall Effect Measurement in Germanium
PPMS® VersaLab®

The objective of this educational module is to measure the Hall effect of germanium and determine the carrier concentration (and type) as a function of temperature. Germanium is an indirect bandgap semiconductor with a room temperature bandgap EG = 0.67 eV.

Several items are needed for this experiment, which include:

  • A piece of semiconductor wafer. In the present case, we are using a p-type doped Ge wafer, but other samples that you may have access to will work.
  • You may need a caliper to measure the semiconductor sample thickness. In our case, the sample wafer is 500 microns thick as measured by the vendor.
  • Diamond scribe to assist in cleaving the semiconductor sample.
  • Cotton swabs and acetone to clean the semiconductor surface.
  • Silver paste and thin gauge wire.
  • Kapton tape and apiezon N grease.
  • Tweezers, toothpick (for spreading N grease).
  • Latex or nitrile gloves for sample handling.
  • ETO transport puck.
  • Puck wiring test station and ohm meter (to test continuity of silver paste joints).
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