Low-frequency noise in planar Hall effect bridge sensors

The low-frequency characteristics of planar Hall effect bridge sensors are investigated as function of the sensor bias current and the applied magnetic field. The noise spectra reveal a Johnson-like spectrum at high frequencies, and a 1/f-like excess noise spectrum at lower frequencies, with a knee frequency of around 400 Hz. The 1/f-like excess noise can be described by the phenomenological Hooge equation with a Hooge parameter of gamma(H) = 0.016. The detectivity is shown to depend on the total length, width and thickness of the bridge branches. The detectivity is improved by the square root of the length increase. Moreover, the detectivity is shown to depend on the amplitude of the applied magnetic field, revealing a magnetic origin to part of the 1/f noise. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.