6.

012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-1

Lecture 3 - Semiconductor Physics (II) Carrier Transport September 15, 2005

Contents: 1. Thermal motion 2. Carrier drift 3. Carrier diusion

Reading assignment: Howe and Sodini, Ch. 2, 2.4-2.6

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-2

Key questions What are the physical mechanisms responsible for current ow in semiconductors? How do electrons and holes in a semiconductor behave in an electric eld? How do electrons and holes in a semiconductor behave if their concentration is non-uniform in space?

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-3

1. Thermal Motion In thermal equilibrium, carriers are not sitting still: undergo collisions with vibrating Si atoms (Brownian motion) electrostatically interact with charged dopants and with each other

Characteristic time constant of thermal motion - mean free time between collisions: c collision time [s] In between collisions, carriers acquire high velocity: vth thermal velocity [cm/s] ...but get nowhere!

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-4

Characteristic length of thermal motion: mean free path [cm] = vthc Put numbers for Si at 300 K: c vth 1014 1013 s 107 cm/s 1 10 nm

For reference, state-of-the-art MOSFETs today: Lg 50 nm

carriers undergo many collisions in modern devices

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-5

2. Carrier Drift Apply electric eld to semiconductor: E electric eld [V /cm] net force on carrier F = qE

E
-

Between collisions, carriers accelerate in direction of eld:

qE v(t) = at = mn t

for electrons for holes

v(t) =

qE t mp

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-6

But velocity randomized every c (on average):

net velocity in direction of field

average net velocity time

Then, average net velocity in direction of eld: qE qc v = vd = c = E 2mn,p 2mn,p This is called drift velocity [cm/s]. Dene: n,p =
qc 2mn,p

mobility [cm2 /V s]

Then, for electrons: vdn = nE for holes: vdp = p E

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-7

Mobility is measure of ease of carrier drift: if c , longer time between collisions if m , lighter particle Mobility depends on doping. For Si at 300K:
1400 1200
electrons 1000 mobility (cm2/Vs) 800 600 holes 400 200 0

1013

1014

1015 1016 1017 1018 Nd + Na total dopant concentration (cm3)

1019

1020

for low doping level, limited by collisions with lattice for medium and high doping level, limited by collisions with ionized impurities holes heavier than electrons: for same doping level, n > p

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-8

Drift current Net velocity of charged particles electric current: Drift current density carrier drift velocity carrier concentration carrier charge Drift currents:
drift = qnvdn = qnn E Jn

drift Jp = qpvdp = qpp E

Check signs:
E vdn Jndrift x E vdp
+

Jpdrift x

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-9

Total drift current:

drift drift J drift = Jn + Jp = q(nn + pp )E

Has the shape of Ohms Law: J = E = Where: conductivity [1 cm1 ] resistiviy [ cm] Then: = 1 1 = q(nn + pp ) E

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-10

Resistivity commonly used to specify doping level. In n-type semiconductor: n In p-type semiconductor: p For Si at 300K:
1E+4 1E+3 1E+2 Resistivity (ohm.cm) 1E+1

1 qNdn 1 qNap

p-Si
1E+0

n-Si
1E-1 1E-2 1E-3 1E-4 1E+12 1E+13 1E+14 1E+15 1E+16 1E+17 1E+18 1E+19 1E+20 1E+21 Doping (cm-3)

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-11

Numerical example: Si with Nd = 3 1016 cm3 at 300 K n n 1000 cm2/V s 0.21 cm

apply |E| = 1 kV /cm |vdn|

drift |Jn |

106 cm/s

vth

4.8 103 A/cm2

time to drift through L = 0.1 m: td = fast! L = 10 ps vdn

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-12

3. Carrier diusion Diusion: particle movement in response to concentration gradient.

x
Elements of diusion: a medium (Si crystal) a gradient of particles (electrons and holes) inside the medium collisions between particles and medium send particles o in random directions: overall, particle movement down the gradient

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-13

Key diusion relationship (Ficks rst law):

Diusion ux - concentration gradient Flux number of particles crossing unit area per unit time [cm2 s1] For electrons: dn Fn = Dn dx For holes: Fp = Dp dp dx

Dn electron diusion coecient [cm2 /s] Dp hole diusion coecient [cm2 /s] D measures the ease of carrier diusion in response to a concentration gradient: D F diff . D limited by vibrating lattice atoms and ionized dopants

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-14

Diusion current density = charge carrier ux

diff Jn = qDn

dn dx dp dx

diff Jp = qDp

Check signs:

n Fn Jndiff x

p Fp Jpdiff x

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-15

Einstein relation At the core of diusion and drift is same physics: collisions among particles and medium atoms there should be a relationship between D and Einstein relation [dont derive in 6.012]: D kT = q In semiconductors: Dn Dp kT = = n p q
kT q

thermal voltage [V ]

At 300 K: kT q 25 mV

For example: for Nd = 3 1016 cm3 : n p 1000 cm2/V s Dn 25 cm2/s 400 cm2/V s Dp 10 cm2 /s

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-16

Total current In general, current can ow by drift and diusion separately. Total current:
drift diff Jn = Jn + Jn = qnn E + qDn

dn dx

drift diff + Jp = qpp E qDp Jp = Jp

dp dx

And Jtotal = Jn + Jp

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-17

Summary: relationship between v, F , and J In semiconductors: charged particles move particle ux electrical current density Particle ux: number of particles that cross surface of unit area placed normal to particle ow every unit time

Fn

vn dt

Relationship between particle ux and velocity: Fn = nvn Fp = pvp

Current density: amount of charge that crosses surface of unit area placed normal to particle ow every unit time Jn = qFn = qnvn Jp = qFp = qpvp

whether carriers move by drift or diusion.

6.012 - Microelectronic Devices and Circuits - Fall 2005

Lecture 3-18

Key conclusions Electrons and holes in semiconductors are mobile and charged carriers of electrical current! Drift current: produced by electric eld J drift E Diusion current: produced by concentration gradient J diff dn dp , dx dx

Carriers move fast in response to elds and gradients Diusion and drift currents are sizable in modern devices