Analysis of Magnetoresistance and Hall Coefficient inp-Type Indium-Antimonide andp-Type Germanium

Abstract

Existing theory on the variation of resistivity and Hall coefficient with magnetic field in semiconductors has been extended to the case of arbitrary concentrations of the electrons and holes. Equations are developed for the magnetoresistance $\frac{\Delta \rho }{{\rho }_H}$ and the Hall coefficient $R_H$, as functions of parameters such as temperature, magnetic-field strength, and impurity concentration. For $p$-type InSb, theory and experiment are in agreement on the following observations: (1) a shift to higher temperatures of the Hall coefficient crossover, magnetoresistance maxima, and Hall coefficient maxima with increasing magnetic field, (2) a decrease in magnitude of the Hall coefficient maxima with increasing magnetic field, (3) the occurrence of the largest effects in the transition region between extrinsic and intrinsic conductivity, (4) magnetoresistance maxima occurring at about the same temperature as Hall coefficient maxima.