WO2012171688A1

WO2012171688A1 - Hall sensor and method for operating a hall sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2012171688A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/057429
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerhard Lammel; Marcin DANIEL; Achim BREITLING; Stefan Weiss; Oliver Schatz
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-06-16
Filing date: 2012-04-24
Publication date: 2012-12-20
Also published as: TW201305586A; DE102011077580A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a Hall sensor having four Hall elements (10), which in each case have a first pair of first connections (12a, 12b) which are located mutually opposite along a first connection line and a second pair of second connections (13a, 13b) which are located mutually opposite along a second connection line that is perpendicular to the first connection line, and which Hall elements are arranged in a congruent orientation in each case on the corner points of a square base area; a control device which is configured for applying a supply voltage (Vdd) in four different measurement phases (P1, P2, P3, P4) via in each case one of the pairs of connections (13a, 13b; 12a, 12b) of each of the Hall elements (10); and a measurement device which is configured for capturing in each of the four measurement phases a single Hall voltage at the respectively other one of the pairs of connections (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) and for adding the captured single Hall voltages to one measurement voltage, wherein the control device in a first measurement phase (P1) is configured for connecting a supply voltage connection, which provides the supply voltage (Vdd), to in each case one of the connections (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each of the Hall elements (10), wherein the respectively connected connection (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of a Hall element (10) with respect to the Hall element (10), which is adjacent in the clockwise direction, corresponds to the connection (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) which is offset by 90° in the counter-clockwise direction, and wherein the control device in the three measurement phases (P2, P3, P4) which follow the first measurement phase (P1) is in each case configured for connecting that connection (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each of the Hall elements (10) to the supply voltage connection which corresponds to the connected connection (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) which is offset by 90° in the clockwise direction relative to the preceding measurement phase.

Description

description

title

Hall sensor and method for operating a Hall sensor

The invention relates to a Hall sensor and a method for operating a

Hall sensor, in particular a square Hall sensor arrangement in spinning current operation.

State of the art

Hall sensors are based on the Lorentz effect, by which moving charges are deflected in a direction perpendicular to the direction of charge and perpendicular to an external magnetic field. In Hall elements can therefore at a predetermined current between two electrode terminals, which with a

Supply voltage can be applied, a Hall voltage can be tapped, which allows conclusions about the strength of a standing perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field.

Such Hall sensors can also be used in products with which, for example, the strength of the geomagnetic field can be detected. In

Electronic devices for consumers comprising such Hall sensors, such as navigation devices or digital compasses, often only a low supply voltage in the range between 1 volt and 5 volts available. Hall voltages, which are due to the geomagnetic field, are due to the small strength of the geomagnetic field of a few μΤ in the range of a few nanovolts. Therefore, Hall sensors for geomagnetic field detection must have a very high resolution and require a good coordination of the individual components.

Intrinsic measurement offsets or offsets of Hall sensors usually require a high dynamic gain range of the Hall sensors, about two to four orders of magnitude above the range of the signal to be measured

geomagnetic field strength can lie. The high gain range can affect the signal-to-noise behavior of the Hall sensor and consequently to the

Power consumption and the linearity of the evaluation electronics used. The document US 7,345,376 B2 discloses a Hall sensor circuit with Hall elements in square geometry, are evaluated in the Hall currents via a suitable spinning current method.

The document US 6,154,027 discloses a Hall element with an evaluation circuit in the spinning current mode, by means of which external temperature differences can be compensated. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention therefore provides, according to one embodiment, a Hall sensor having four Hall elements each having a first pair of along a first one

Connecting line opposite first terminals and a second pair of second terminals located along a second connecting line, a control device which is adapted to apply in four different measuring phases, a supply voltage via each one of the pairs of terminals of each of the Hall elements, and a measuring device, which is designed is to detect a Einzelhallspannung and the detected in each of the four measuring phases at the other of the pairs of terminals of each of the Hall elements

Add individual sound voltages to a measuring voltage.

The control device is designed in a first measurement phase, a

Supply voltage terminal, which provides the supply voltage to connect to one of the terminals of each of the Hall elements, wherein the respectively connected connection of a Hall element with respect to the clockwise adjacent Hall element corresponds to the offset by 90 ° counterclockwise port. In the three measuring phases following the first measuring phase, the

Control means are each designed to be that connection of each of

Hall elements to connect to the supply voltage terminal, which corresponds to the compared to the previous measurement phase by 90 ° clockwise connected connection.

The present invention provides, according to a further embodiment, a method for operating a Hall sensor with four Hall elements, each having a first pair of first terminals and opposite to each other along a first connecting line a second pair of along a second, perpendicular to the first connecting line standing connecting line opposite second terminals, and which are arranged on the vertices of a square base. In a first of four measuring phases, the method comprises the steps of applying a supply voltage to one of the terminals of each of the Hall elements, wherein the respectively connected terminal of a Hall element with respect to the

Clockwise adjacent Hall elements corresponds to the offset by 90 ° counterclockwise port, detecting first Einzelhallspannungen each of the Hall elements on the pair of terminals, which does not include the respective connected terminal of the Hall element, and adding the first Einzelhallspannungen to a first measurement voltage.

In each case in one of three measuring phases following the first measuring phase, the method can then comprise the steps of applying a supply voltage to the terminal of each of the Hall elements which corresponds to the connected terminal offset by 90 ° in the clockwise direction compared to the preceding measuring phase, detecting further individual reverberation voltages each the Hall elements on the pair of

Terminals, which does not include the respectively connected connection of the Hall element, and the adding of the further individual sound voltages to another measurement voltage include.

Advantages of the Invention A basic idea of the invention is to use a square

Hall sensor arrangement, which is operated in a spinning current mode or spinning-voltage operation, the interchanging of the terminals, where the

Supply voltage is applied, and the terminals at which the Hall voltage is tapped to perform in all four measuring phases of the Spinning-Current operation such that in each measurement phase, a measurement voltage can be obtained by adding the individual Hall voltages of the Hall elements, which no longer on corrected for the Seebeck effect.

This offers the advantage that a Hall sensor with a corresponding

Hall sensor arrangement can compensate for the measured value offset already conditionally by the measurement method, so that the Hall sensor a better signal-to-noise ratio and is thus particularly well suited for applications with very low signal values, for example for the detection of the geomagnetic field.

Due to the procedural compensation of offset effects caused by the

Seebeck effect be evoked, it is no longer necessary, additional

Compensatory measures or arrangements, whereby the

Hall sensor assembly is easier, easier and cheaper to produce.

Moreover, measures which are used to compensate for further offset effects, such as, for example, stress effects, are not influenced by the operating method of the Hall sensor arrangement. This can become familiar

Compensation method to reduce stress effects ideal with the

Combine operating method of the invention. Preferred developments are the subject of the respective subclaims.

The above embodiments and developments can, if appropriate, combine with each other as desired. Further possible refinements, developments and implementations of the invention also include combinations, not explicitly mentioned, of features of the invention described above or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic representation of a Hall element according to a

Embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a measuring arrangement for a Hall element according to a further embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a method for operating a Hall sensor according to a further embodiment of the invention;

4 shows a schematic representation of a Hall sensor arrangement according to FIG

another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a Hall sensor according to another

Embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of the phases of a spinning current operation for a Hall sensor arrangement according to a further embodiment of the invention.

In the figures of the drawing are identical and functionally identical elements, features and components - unless otherwise stated - each with the same

Provided with reference numerals. It is understood that components and elements in the drawings are not for the sake of clarity and clarity

necessarily reproduced to scale to each other. Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a Hall element 10. The Hall element 10 comprises two pairs of electrical terminals 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b, which in each case lie along connecting lines which are perpendicular to each other. The Hall element 10 may, for example, in a substrate 1 1, for example a

Semiconductor substrate 1 1 be made as silicon, and be electrically conductive in the plane defined by the terminals 12 a, 12 b and 13 a, 13 b.

For example, a supply voltage Vdd can be applied to the Hall element 10, in the example of FIG. 1 between the terminals 13a and 13b. The

Supply voltage Vdd can be applied in both directions, ie with a negative or a positive sign. For example, at the terminal 13b, a supply voltage terminal with a positive

Supply voltage Vdd are applied and at the terminal 13 a

Ground connection. In this case results in a voltage drop of

Supply voltage Vdd as indicated in Fig. 1. However, it is also possible to connecting each of the other terminals 12a, 12b and 13b to the supply voltage terminal. By applying a supply voltage Vdd, there is a current flow between the respective terminals 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b of the terminal pair subjected to the supply voltage Vdd.

If there is now a magnetic field B, which is perpendicular to the current flow - in the example of FIG. 1, a magnetic field B, which points into the plane of the drawing - due to the Lorentz effect, a deflection of the moving charges of the current flow in the plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the charges. in the

The present example of FIG. 1 therefore leads to a deflection of the charges in the direction of the terminal 12a. Between the terminals 12a and 12b, therefore, a Hall voltage Vh can be tapped, which depends on the strength of the magnetic field B.

2 shows a schematic representation of a measuring arrangement for the Hall element 10 of FIG. 1. The measuring arrangement comprises a measuring and control device 15, which has connections 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d, which are connected to the terminals 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b of the Hall element 10 are connected. In FIG. 2, for example, the supply voltage Vdd is applied between the terminals 12a and 12b, for example when a negative voltage is applied to the terminal 15a of the measuring and control device 15

Supply voltage is applied to the terminal 12a and the terminal 12b is connected to a ground terminal. Via the terminals 13a and 13b, which are connected to terminals 15b and 15d of the measuring and control device 15, then the Hall voltage Vh can be tapped, which is an indicator of the strength of the magnetic field B.

A significant proportion of an offset or measurement offset in Hall elements is caused by the Seebeck effect. The Seebeck effect occurs at material transitions such as metal-semiconductor junctions or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions. Such junctions may be present at the terminals 13a and 13b when the metal or semiconductor lines are connected to the semiconductor substrate 11. The Seebeck effect is a temperature-dependent effect which produces a temperature-dependent voltage at metal-semiconductor junctions or semiconductor-semiconductor junctions. In Fig. 2 is formed at the terminal 13a by the Seebeck effect

for example, the Seebeck voltage Vs1. For example, the Seebeck voltage Vs2 is produced at the terminal 13b by the Seebeck effect. As long as the temperatures of both terminals 13a and 13b are the same, the Seebeck voltages are Vs1 and Vs2 equal in magnitude and have different signs, so that they just cancel out in the measurement of the Hall voltage Vh and no Seebeck offset arises.

In Fig. 2, however, the two terminals 13a and 13b are at different

Temperature levels. For example, the terminal 13b has the temperature T2, whereas the terminal 13a has the temperature T1. The otherwise

prevailing ambient temperature is for example TO. The

Temperature ranges are indicated by the range limits 14a and 14b illustratively. In this case, the Seebeck voltages Vs1 and Vs2

different amounts, so that their sum is not zero.

Vs1 = a (T1-T0) (1) Vs2 = a (T2-T0) (2)

Vs1 - Vs2 = α (Τ1 -Τ0) - α (Τ2-Τ0) = α (Τ1 -Τ2) (3)

Here, α is a material-dependent Seebeck coefficient. The Seebeck coefficient α for transitions between metal and lightly doped silicon can be, for example, around 1000 μν / ^ω 0. The voltage difference Vm, of the measuring and

Control device 15 between the terminals 15b and 15d can be measured is thus:

Vm = Vs1 + Vh - Vs2 = Vh + a (T1 - T2) = Vh + Voff (4)

The actual measuring voltage Vh is offset by a Seebeck offset Voff, which depends on the temperature difference (T1-T2). For metal-semiconductor junctions in typical Hall elements, the Seebeck offset Voff may give a value which is on the order of the Hall voltage Vh for the typical strength of the geomagnetic field. Even small temperature differences T1 -T2 can therefore generate parasitic signals Voff, which are superimposed as a significant offset of the measuring voltage Vh.

In connection with the illustrations in FIGS. 4 and 6, FIG. 3 explains a method for operating a Hall sensor with which measured value offsets based on Seebeck effects can be eliminated or at least reduced. 4 shows a schematic representation of a Hall sensor arrangement 30

Hall sensor arrangement 30 comprises four Hall elements 10, each of which has a first pair of first terminals 12a, 12b located opposite a first connecting line and a second pair of second terminals 13a, 13b located along a second connecting line perpendicular to the first connecting line. The Hall elements 10 may correspond to the Hall elements 10 of FIG. 1. The four Hall elements can be arranged in a congruent orientation respectively on the vertices of a square base.

Coincident orientation in this context means that the

Alignment of the terminals 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b results only by lateral displacement of the connection geometry of each of the Hall elements, but not by rotation, strain, reflection or other geometric operations. Continue to lie the

Hall elements with their geometric emphasis on vertices of an imaginary square base, that is, the imaginary connecting lines of the

Focusing points laterally adjacent Hall elements are perpendicular to each other, and have an identical length.

The arrangement 30 of the Hall elements 10 due to the operation of the Hall elements 10, a temperature distribution which is approximately that of the dashed circles

indicated temperature distribution corresponds. In an outer region of the Hall elements 10, the constant room temperature TO prevails. Inwardly toward the center of the imaginary square base, at whose vertices the Hall elements 10 are arranged, the temperature increases. Approximately in the middle of the Hall elements 10, the temperature may be, for example, T1> TO. At the level of the connections of the Hall elements, which point in the middle of the square base, the temperature can be, for example, T2> T1> TO. Since more components are operated in the middle of the square base area and the temperature outflow there is worse, the temperature T2 is higher than the room temperature TO. FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a method 20 for operating a

Hall sensor with a Hall sensor assembly 30 as shown in Fig. 4. The method 20 can be divided into four measurement phases P1, P2, P3 and P4, which are shown schematically in FIG. The respective views of FIG. 6 show the Hall sensor arrangement 30 of FIG. 4 with the corresponding temperature ranges, wherein different supply voltages Vdd are applied to different terminals of the Hall elements 10 in the measurement phases P1 to P4, as indicated by the arrows illustrated. Without limiting the generality, the Hall elements 10 are marked for the better understanding with the consecutive numbers 1 to 4. The four Hall elements 1 to 4 in FIG. 6 each have four terminals 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b, which are arranged such that the designations of the terminals of each Hall element respectively the names of the adjacent, rotated by 90 °

Hall elements correspond. For example, the terminal 12a of the Hall element 1 in Fig. 6 is upper left, while the terminal 12a of the Hall element 2 is located on the upper right.

The method 20 can also be referred to as a spinning current method, that is to say as a method with alternating current directions. Spinning current method

Hall sensors are characterized by the fact that a measurement of a magnetic field by means of a Hall sensor takes place in different measuring phases, which in each case differ in the relative orientation of the current direction in the Hall sensor. This is the

Supply voltage applied between changing with the measuring phases terminals of the Hall sensor, so that the current direction changes in each case.

The method 20 comprises four measurement phases P1 to P4, wherein the measurement phase P1 in step 21 and the subsequent measurement phases P2 to P4 are each illustrated in step 25. In a first step 22, a supply voltage Vdd is applied to one of the terminals of each of the Hall elements, wherein the respective connected terminal of a Hall element with respect to the clockwise adjacent Hall element corresponds to the offset by 90 ° counterclockwise port.

In the example in FIG. 6, it is possible to apply to the Hall element 1 a positive supply voltage Vdd to the terminal 12a, that is to say the terminal on the top left. At the same time, a ground potential can be applied to the opposite terminal 12b at the bottom right, so that, as indicated by the corresponding arrow, there is a current flow with a current flow direction from terminal 12a to terminal 12b, ie from top left to bottom right. At the other Hall elements 2 to 4, the supply voltage Vdd can be applied to terminals other than terminals 12a of the Hall element 1, respectively. The Hall element 2 is located adjacent to the Hall element 1 in the clockwise direction. The Hall element 2 is therefore acted upon at that terminal with the supply voltage Vdd, which is offset in relation to the Hall element 1 in the counterclockwise direction by 90 °, that is on the

Connection 13b. The Hall element 3 in turn is located adjacent to the Hall element 2 in the clockwise direction. The Hall element 3 is corresponding to that Terminal with the supply voltage Vdd is applied, which is offset in relation to the Hall element 2 counterclockwise by 90 °, that is, at the terminal 12b. For the Hall element 4 is a corresponding procedure, so that its terminal 13a is connected to the supply voltage terminal.

In this way, a Hall element control of the Hall elements 1 to 4 results in the measurement phase P1, in which all connections of the Hall elements, between which no current flow, that is, which do not belong to a pair of terminals, at which the supply voltage Vdd and a ground potential is applied, have the same temperature, as can be seen from the isotherms TO and T1. As a result, the individual sound voltages Vh1 to Vh4, which can be detected at the Hall elements 1 to 4 in the measurement phase P1 in step 23, are free from a Seebeck offset Voff. In step 24, it is therefore possible to add the first individual sound voltages Vh1 to Vh4 to a first measurement voltage Vm without having to make an external offset correction with respect to the Seebeck effect.

In each case four corresponding terminals of the Hall elements 1 to 4 can be brought together at one of four node connections, so that on the one hand the supply voltage can be applied to one of the terminals of each Hall element 1 to 4 by applying to one of the node terminals. On the other hand, the tapping of a Hall voltage at each one of the other node connections take place, so that the Einzelhallspannungen Vh1 to Vh4 of the four different terminals of the Hall elements 1 to 4 summing and at the respective node terminal as

Tapping medium voltage. The mean voltage is the average

Total voltage of the single-frequency voltages Vh1 to Vh4 and already due to the measuring geometry free of Seebeck offsets.

After the measuring phase P1 has been completed, the entry at step 25 takes place in the measuring phase P2. For this purpose, in step 26 first with the

Supply connection connected terminals of the Hall elements 1 to 4 changed. Accordingly, the supply voltage Vdd is applied to the terminal of each of the Hall elements that corresponds to the connected terminal offset by 90 ° in the clockwise direction compared to the preceding measurement phase. In the example in FIG. 6, in the measurement phase P1, which preceded the measurement phase P2, the connection 12a of the Hall element 1 was connected to the supply connection. The opposite to the

Terminal 12a 90 ° clockwise connection is for the Hall element 1 of Terminal 13a, which is therefore connected in the measuring phase P2 now to the supply terminal. Consequently, the ground potential is applied to the terminal 13 a opposite the terminal 13 a, so that the current flow indicated by the arrow from terminal 13 a to terminal 13 b of the Hall element 1 results in measuring phase P2. The same applies to the Hall elements 2 to 4, so that in the measuring phase P2, as in the measuring phase P1, different supply voltages Vdd are applied to each of the terminals of each of the Hall elements 1 to 4.

Then, in step 27, further single-hall voltages Vh1 'to Vh4' of each of the hall elements 1 to 4 are detected at the pair of terminals which does not include the respective connected terminal of the Hall element, similar to step 23. Since the respective opposite terminals of each of the Hall elements 1 to 4 in

Different temperature ranges, resulting in the other

Einzelhallspannungen Vh1 'to Vh4' each Seebeck offsets, as explained in connection with FIG. 2 and equations (1) to (4).

In a step 28, the additional individual sound voltages Vh1 'to Vh4' are added to form a further measurement voltage Vm '. As can be seen, own the

Einzelhallspannungen Vh1 'to Vh4' with the supply voltage control in the measuring phase P2, however, just in pairs canceling Seebeck offsets.

For example, the single-hall voltages Vh1 'and Vh2' have Seebeck offsets of equal magnitude but different sign. This is because the

Temperature distribution of the terminals in the Hall element 1, via which the individual reverberation voltage Vh1 'is tapped, just inverse to the temperature distribution of the terminals in the Hall element 2, via which the individual reverberation voltage Vh2' is tapped. The same applies mutatis mutandis to the Hall element pair of Hall elements 3 and 4. In this way, the Seebeck offsets cancel each other in pairs by the addition of the Einzelhallspannungen Vh1 'to Vh4', so that the other measurement voltage Vm 'is again offset-free. As in measuring phase P1, no external offset correction is necessary even in measuring phase P2.

In turn, in the second measuring phase P2, the supply voltage can be applied to another node terminal in relation to the measuring phase P1, so that the mean voltage of the individual sound voltages Vh1 'to Vh4' is likewise applied to one

different node connections can be tapped. The method 20 is iterated after completion of the measurement phase P2 for the measurement phases P3 and P4 with the respective repetition of steps 26 to 28. With regard to the Hall sensor arrangements, analogous statements apply to the measurement phases P3 and P4 as for the measurement phases P1 and P2, as can easily be seen by the person skilled in the art from the illustration in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a Hall sensor 40, which has a Hall sensor arrangement 30 according to FIG. 4 or FIG. 6. The Hall sensor 40 can be operated in particular with a method 20 according to FIG. 3. The Hall sensor 40 comprises a control device 41, a measuring device 45, first switching devices 42a and second switching devices 42b. The control device 41 is connected to the

Measuring device 45, the first switching devices 42a and the second

Switching devices 42b connected. The control device 41 is designed in four different measuring phases P1, P2, P3, P4 a supply voltage Vdd via in each case one of the pairs of terminals of each of the Hall elements of

Apply Hall sensor assembly. For this purpose, the control device 41 is designed to connect a supply voltage connection 43, which provides the supply voltage Vdd, via corresponding activation of the first switching devices 42a to one of the connections of each of the Hall elements of the Hall sensor arrangement 30.

According to the activation of the first switching devices 42a, the

Control device 41 may be configured to a ground terminal 44, which

For example, provides a ground or reference potential to the supply voltage Vdd, via appropriate control of the second switching means 42b, each with one of the opposite terminals of each of the Hall elements of

Hall sensor assembly 30 to connect.

The measuring device 45 is designed in each of the four measuring phases to the respectively not via the switching devices 42 a and 42 b with the

Supply voltage terminal 43 and the ground terminal 44 connected

Connections of each of the Hall elements of the Hall sensor assembly to detect a Einzelhallspannung and to add the detected Einzelhallspannungen to a measurement voltage.

Claims

claims

Hall sensor (40), with:

four Hall elements (10) each having a first pair of first terminals (12a, 12b) opposed along a first connection line and a second pair of second terminals (13a, 13b) opposite to a second connection line;

a control device (41) which is designed in four measuring phases (P1, P2, P3, P4) a supply voltage (Vdd) via in each case one of the pairs of

Attaching terminals (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) of each of the Hall elements (10); and a measuring device (45) adapted to detect and detect a single-phase voltage (Vh) in each of the four measuring phases at the other of the pairs of terminals (13a, 13b; 12a, 12b) of each of the hall elements (10) Add individual sound voltages (Vh) to a measurement voltage (Vm),

wherein the control device (41) is designed in a first measurement phase (P1) to connect a supply voltage connection (43) which supplies the supply voltage (Vdd) to one of the connections (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each of the Hall elements (10 ), wherein the respectively connected terminal (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) of a Hall element (10) with respect to the clockwise adjacent Hall element (10) offset by 90 ° counterclockwise port (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b ) corresponds.

Hall sensor (40) according to claim 1, wherein the four Hall elements (10) lateral

Hall elements are.

Hall sensor (40) according to claim 1, wherein the four Hall elements (10) vertical

Hall elements are.

Hall sensor (40) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the four Hall elements (10) in a semiconductor substrate (1 1) are formed, and wherein each of the terminals of the Hall elements (10) metal-semiconductor contacts or semiconductor-semiconductor contacts includes.

5. Hall sensor (40) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second connecting line is perpendicular to the first connecting line.

6. Hall sensor (40) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the four Hall elements (10) are each arranged on the vertices of a square base.

7. Hall sensor (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the terminals (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) of each Hall element (10) with respect to the clockwise adjacent Hall element (10) each with the 90 ° to the Clockwise offset terminal (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b) is connected to one of four node terminals.

8. Hall sensor (40) according to claim 7, wherein the control device (41) in the three measuring phases (P2, P3, P4) following the first measuring phase (P1) is in each case designed to have different of the four node connections with the

Supply voltage connection (43) to connect.

9. A method of operating a Hall sensor (40) having four Hall elements (10), each having a first pair of along a first connecting line

opposite first terminals (12a, 12b) and a second pair of second terminals (13a, 13b) opposite to a second connecting line, comprising the steps of:

in a first (P1) of four measurement phases:

Applying (22) a supply voltage (Vdd) to each one of four

Node terminals respectively connecting the terminals (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) of each Hall element (10) to the 90 ° counterclockwise terminal of the clockwise adjacent Hall element (10);

Detecting (23) first single-hall voltages (Vh) of each of the hall elements (10) at the pair of terminals (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) not connected to the respective connected node terminal; and

Picking up (24) a sum voltage of the first individual sound voltages (Vh) for measuring a first measuring voltage (Vm) at a 90 ° offset

Node connection.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: in each case in one of three measuring phases (P2, P3, P4) following the first measuring phase (P1):

Applying (26) one supply voltage (Vdd) to another

Node connection;

Detecting (27) further individual reverberant voltages (Vh) of each of the Hall elements

(10) to the pair of terminals (12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) not connected to the respective connected node terminal; and

Picking up (28) a sum voltage of the further individual sound voltages (Vh) for measuring a further measuring voltage (Vm) at a node connection offset by 90 °.