  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 new
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
new way to pattern Hall sensors for enhanced spatial resolution.
