Geometries for high spatial resolution Hall probes

The Hall response function of symmetric and asymmetric planar Hall effect devices is investigated by scanning a magnetized tip above a sensor surface while simultaneously recording the topography and the Hall voltage. Hall sensor geometries are tailored using a focused ion beam, in standard symmetric and asymmetric geometries. With this technique we are able to reduce a single voltage probe to a narrow constriction 20 times smaller than the other device dimensions. We show that the response function is peaked above the constriction, in agreement with numerical simulations. The results suggest a way to pattern Hall sensors for enhanced spatial resolution. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.