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Unit 4-Semeconductor Physics
Unit 4-Semeconductor Physics
A variety of ranges of allowed and forbidden bands is found in pure elements, alloys, and compounds. Three distinct groups are usually described: metals, insulators, and semiconductors. In metals, forbidden bands do not occur in the energy range of the most energetic (outermost) electrons. Accordingly, metals are good electrical conductors. Insulators have wide forbidden energy gaps that can be crossed only by an electron having an energy of several electron volts. Because electrons cannot move freely in the presence of an applied voltage, insulators are poor conductors. Semiconductors have relatively narrow forbidden gaps which can be crossed by an electron having an energy of roughly one electron voltand so are intermediate conductors.
Semi-crystalline solids have medium-range repeatability, not true long-range repeatability but some repeatability over the short range (i.e., not totally amorphous). Such semi-crystalline materials have different properties from both glasses and crystals. Liquid crystals, for example, have medium rangerepeatability.
Covalent (network) solids are made of atoms that are covalently bonded together to form one continuous network of covalently bonded atoms. One could almost think of this type of solids as macroscopic molecules (big enough to see). Diamonds are a prime example of such solids. This type of solid tends to have a high melting point and are normally quite hard. For example, diamond melts at 3600C. Network solids are not all crystalline. Quartz, mentioned above, is a network solid in crystalline and in amorphous forms. 3
Ionic solids contain ions of opposite charge which hold together with electrostatic (Columbic) interactions. A good example of this is sodium chloride (table salt). The crystal structure of NaCl is shown on the right. The atoms of Na+ alternate with atoms of Cl- such that each positive ion has neighboring negative ions and vice versa. Ionic solids tend to have a melting point that ranges from quite low to moderately, depending on the strength of the ionic bond.
Metallic solids are made up of metal atoms, whose loosely held outer electrons are somewhat free of their positive cores and form a continuous dissociated sea of negative charge binding the positive cores together. Metallic bonds are generally non-directional, which means the solid will hold together even if the material is distorted significantly. Metals can be reshaped by striking (malleable) or drawn through small openings (ductile) the way copper is formed into wires. Metals can have low melting points and also tend to be soft. The crystal structure of copper is shown in the model on the right.
One dimensional networks (plastic), These tend to form very soft plastic or even waxy/tar-like solids. One-dimensional solids generally do not form crystals by virtue of the easy entanglement of the long "molecules", which makes long-range repeatability improbable. Some such molecules are long enough theoretically to be measurable macroscopically individually by mass or size.
Two dimensional networks (graphite). These have planes of atoms that can easily slide over each. For example, graphite is used as lubricant.
Three dimensional networks (diamond). These tend to be very strong and hard, and can have a very high melting point. Ceramics used to line smelters and as a heat shield on spacecraft are threedimensional network solids.
Conducting materials are those materials in which electrons of the outermost shell are weakly bonded with nucleus. Hence as force of attraction between nucleus and the outermost shell electrons is weak, the outermost electrons become free and roam in the substrate of the material. These are mostly those materials which have 1 or 2 or 3 electrons in the outer shell. E.g. Al, Mg, Cu. Insulating materials are those materials whose outermost electrons are tightly bonded with the nucleus and hence at room temperature they dont get free. In this type of material, we usually have more than 4 electrons in the outer most shell. The bond strength between the nucleus and the outermost shell electrons increases with increase in number of electrons in the outermost shell. Hence bond strength between nucleus and outermost electron of atom with 1-outermost electron less than atom with 2-outermost electron and so on. The order of bond strength between nucleus and outmost electron of an atom with number of electrons in the outer shell vary as shown:
Semiconductor materials are those which lie in between conductors and insulators. These types of materials have usually 4 electrons in the outer shell. Hence semiconducting materials are called tetravalent. E.g. Si, Ge etc.
Although we have such type of materials also which act are semiconductor materials but are not tetravalent. These materials are made by the combination of trivalent and pentavalent materials. Some of materials of the above type are GaAs, GaAsP etc.
A hole is a charge carrier like the electron, except that it is oppositely charged. Remember that flow of charges causes electric current, and electrons flow in the opposite direction of the current (from -ve to +ve).
When an electron receives enough energy, due to increase in temperature it breaks a weak valence band and enters a conduction band, thus creating a hole in the valence band.
Holes do not exist in real but is an abstraction (hypothetical idea) depicting the absence of an electron caused due to its displacement. As another electron tries to occupy the place of the displaced electron it leaves a new hole behind, thus giving the impression of a positive charge propagating in the opposite direction (from +ve to -ve). Electrons and holes are created in "pairs".
A free electron exists in the conduction energy band because it has nowhere else to go. The valence band is full. A hole exists in the valence band because there is not enough electrons to take up the space in the valence band. As the electrons move in the valence band, holes are generated in their wake. This is hole current and it is only in the valence band as in Fig4.4.
Fig. 4.6: Energy band diagram for: insulator, semiconductor and conductor.
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Semiconductors: With increase in temperature, the conductivity of the semi-conductor material increases. As with increase in temperature, outermost electrons acquire energy and hence by acquiring energy, the outermost electrons leave the shell of the atom.
Hence with increase in temperature, number of carriers in the semiconductor material increases and which leads to increase in conductivity of the material. So we call the semi-conductor material have negative temperature coefficient i.e. with increase in temperature, resistance decreases.
Conductors: The outermost shell of conductors is mostly free at room temperature and hence due to the fact that conducting materials leave the outermost electrons, the nucleus of the atom of conducting material is more positive as it is a positive ion. Cu Cu+ + e
Hence taking out more electrons from the penultimate shell of the atom is very difficult and when the temperature is increased, the energy supplied is not enough to take out more electrons but due to the energy because of increase in temperature, the nucleus of the atoms start vibrating and hence obstruct the flow of electrons already in the free space. So with increase in temperature, conductivity of the conductors decreases and resistance increases. Hence we say conductors have positive temperature coefficient.
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1. At absolute zero
At absolute zero temperature (- 273.15 C or 0 K), semiconductor crystal behaves like a perfect insulator. In terms of energy band, the valence band is completely filled and the conduction band is completely empty.
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of semiconductors: a. The negative charge conductor (n-type) ; and b. The positive charge conductor (p-type).
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Positively charged donors. Negatively charged free electrons. 5. Supply of energy gives: Negatively charged free electrons. Positively charged holes.
P-type (e.g. add Boron) These are materials which have Trivalent impurity atoms (Acceptors) added and conduct by "hole" movement and are called, P-type Semiconductors.
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In these types of materials are: 1. 2. 3. 4. The Acceptors are negatively charged. There are a large number of holes. A small number of free electrons in relation to the number of holes. Doping gives: Negatively charged acceptors. Positively charged holes. 5. Supply of energy gives: Positively charged holes. Negatively charged free electrons. and both P and N-types as a whole, are electrically neutral.
When the N and P-type semiconductor materials are first brought together some of the free electrons move across the junction to fill up the holes in the P-type material producing negative ions, but because the electrons have moved they leave behind positive ions on the negative N-side and the holes move across the junction in the opposite direction into the region where there are large numbers of free electrons. This movement of electrons and holes across the junction is known as diffusion. This process continues until the number of electrons which have crossed the junction have a large enough electrical charge to repel or prevent any more carriers from crossing the junction. Eventually a state of equilibrium (electrically neutral situation) will occur producing a "Potential Barrier" zone around the area of the junction as the donor atoms repel the holes and the acceptor atoms repel the electrons. Since no free charge carriers can rest in a position where there is a potential barrier it is therefore "depleted" of any free mobile carriers, and this area around the junction is now called the Depletion Layer.
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As the N-type material has lost electrons and the P-type has lost holes, the N-type material has become positive with respect to the P-type. The external voltage required to overcome this barrier potential that now exists and allow electrons to move freely across the junction is very much dependent upon the type of semiconductor material used and its actual temperature, and for Silicon this is about 0.6 - 0.7 volts and for Germanium it is about 0.3 - 0.35 volts. This potential barrier will always exist even if the device is not connected to any external power source.
The significance of this built-in potential is that it opposes both the flow of holes and electrons across the junction and is why it is called the potential barrier. In practice, a PN-junction is formed within a single crystal of material rather than just simply joining or fusing together two separate pieces. Electrical contacts are also fused onto either side of the crystal to enable an electrical connection to be made to an external circuit. Then the resulting device that has been made is called a PN-junction Diode or a Semiconductor Diode.
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4.10 Diode
In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal device (thermionic diodes may also have one or two ancillary terminals for a heater). Diodes have two active electrodes between which the signal of interest may flow, and most are used for their unidirectional electric current property. The varicap diode is used as an electrically adjustable capacitor. The unidirectionality most diodes exhibit is sometimes generically called the rectifying property. The most common function of a diode is to allow an electric current in one direction (called the forward biased condition) and to block the current in the opposite direction (the reverse biased condition). Thus, the diode can be thought of as an electronic version of a check valve. Real diodes do not display such a perfect on-off directionality but have a more complex non-linear electrical characteristic, which depends on the particular type of diode technology. Diodes also have many other functions in which they are not designed to operate in this on-off manner. Early diodes included cats whisker crystals and vacuum tube devices (also called thermionic valves). Today the most common diodes are made from semiconductor materials such as silicon or germanium.
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The application of a forward biasing voltage on the junction diode results in the depletion layer becoming very thin and narrow which represents a low impedance path through the junction thereby allowing high currents to flow. The point at which this sudden increase in current takes place is represented on the static IV characteristics curve above as the "knee" point.
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This condition represents the low resistance path through the PN junction allowing very large currents to flow through the diode with only a small increase in bias voltage. The actual potential difference across the junction or diode is kept constant by the action of the depletion layer at approximately 0.3v for germanium and approximately 0.7v for silicon junction diodes. Since the diode can conduct "infinite" current above this knee point as it effectively becomes a short circuit, therefore resistors are used in series with the diode to limit its current flow. Exceeding its maximum forward current specification causes the device to dissipate more power in the form of heat than it was designed for resulting in a very quick failure of the device.
depletion layer grows wider due to a lack of electrons and holes and presents a high impedance path, almost an insulator. The result is that a high potential barrier is created thus preventing current from flowing through the semiconductor material.
This condition represents a high resistance value to the PN junction and practically zero current flows through the junction diode with an increase in bias voltage. However, a very small leakage current does flow through the junction which can be measured in microamperes, (A). One final point, if the reverse bias voltage Vr applied to the diode is increased to a sufficiently high enough value, it will cause the PN junction to overheat and fail due to the avalanche effect around the junction. This may cause the diode to become shorted and will result in the flow of maximum circuit current, and this shown as a step downward slope in the reverse static characteristics curve below.
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Sometimes this avalanche effect has practical applications in voltage stabilizing circuits where a series limiting resistor is used with the diode to limit this reverse breakdown current to a preset maximum value thereby producing a fixed voltage output across the diode.
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In forward biased, current is zero till the point forward voltage is less than breakdown voltage and after that diode offers no resistance while in the reverse biased, there is no current flow at all.
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The dynamic resistance equals the change in voltage divided by the change in current, when the voltage is changed by a small amount. In other words it is the slope of the graph of voltage against current. The dynamic resistance is different at different current values.
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The static resistance, , of the diode is just the DC resistance we would calculate from measurement of the current through and voltage across it. This will vary depending on where we are on the I-V characteristic.
The dynamic resistance, ,of the diode is its small signal AC resistance and also depends on the point on the characteristic where it is measured. An expression for can be found by differentiating the approximate diode equation for V 26mV with respect to V. ( )
For V
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Exercises
1. What is an energy band? 2. Explain valence band, conduction band and forbidden energy gap with the help of energy band diagrams. 3. Give the differences between conductors, insulators and semiconductors. 4. Explain the co valent bonds in semiconductors. 5. Explain the hole concept in a semiconductor material with the help of a diagram. 6. What are intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors? 7. Explain an n-type semiconductor with the help of a diagram . 8. Explain a p-type semiconductor with the help of a diagram 9. What are the majority and minority carriers in an n-type semiconductor? 10. What are the majority and minority carriers in a p-type semiconductor? 11. What is a pn-junction? How is a depletion region formed in a pn-junction? 12. Explain a forward biased pn-junction with the help of a diagram. 13. Explain a reverse biased pn-junction with the help of a diagram. 14. Draw and explain the V-I characteristics of a pn-junction.
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