Home Assignment - V (EEL732)

Adersh Miglani
Adersh.Miglani@gmail.com
16-Aug-2013
Assignment: For Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination
model, derive the proof of the following expression for rate of
recombination at recombination trap level between forbidden
energy gap.
R =
np n
2
i

p0
(n +n
t
) +
n0
(p +p
t
)
where

p0
=
1
CpNt

n0
=
1
CnNt
C
n
is electron capture cross-section
C
p
is hole capture cross-section
N
t
is number of available traps
n
t
and p
t
are net electron and hole concentration at the trap
level E
t
Solution: In the ideal semiconductor material, there are
no allowed energy states within bandgap. But, in practice,
allowed energy states are always present between E
c
and E
v
energy levels due to lattice defects in semiconductor crystal
or because of undesired impurity atoms. These energy states
are called traps. While determining mean carrier lifetime the
recombination at these traps are considered as per SRH theory
of recombination. There are four processes through which free
carriers recombine at these traps.
1) electron capture: An electron falls from conduction band
into the trap. The rate of electron capture (r
1
) depends
on the density of electrons in the conduction band,
density of empty traps and probability that electron
electron falls into the trap.
2) electron emission: An electron jumps from trap to the
conduction band. The rate of electron emission (r
2
)
depends on the density of traps occupied by electrons
and probability that an electron may jump to conduction
band.
3) hole capture: Trap captures a hole from valence band (an
electron jump from the trap to the valence band leaving
a hole at the trap). The rate of hole capture is denoted
by (r
3
).
4) hole emission: Trap emits an hole into the conduction
band (an electron jump into the trap from valence band
leaving a home in the valence band). The rate of hole
emission is denoted by (r
4
).
The product of electron thermal velocity v
th
and electron
capture cross-section C
n
is volume swept out per unit time
by an electron. The number of total allowed traps is denoted
by N
t
at an energy level E
t
within bandgap. And, f(E
t
) is
the probability that a trap is occupied. So, the rate of capture
of electrons during electron capture process is given by the
following expression
r
1
= n[N
t
(1 f(E
t
))]v
th
C
n
where n is the concentration of electrons in the conduction
band and [N
t
(1 f(E
t
))] is density of empty traps at E
t
.
Rate of electron emission depends on the density of occu-
pied traps, N
t
f(E
t
), and e
n
, the probability that an electron
may jump to conduction band.
r
2
= [N
t
f(E
t
)]e
n
At thermal equilibrium rate of electron capture and electron
emission should be equal, r
1
= r
2
.
n[N
t
(1 f(E
t
))]v
th
C
n
= [N
t
f(E
t
)]e
n
e
n
= nv
th
C
n

1 f(E
t
)
f(E
t
)

e
n
= nv
th
C
n

1
1
1+exp

E
t
E
f
kT

1
1+exp

E
t
E
f
kT

= nv
th
C
n
exp

E
t
E
f
kT

e
n
= n
i
exp

E
f
E
fi
kT

v
th
C
n
exp

E
t
E
f
kT

e
n
= n
i
v
th
C
n
exp

E
t
E
fi
kT

= n
i
v
th
C
n

n
The rate of hole capture depends on the density of occupied
traps, N
t
f(E
t
), and concentration of holes in the valence band
along with volume swept out by a hole per unit time
r
3
= p[N
t
f(E
t
)]v
th
C
p
The rate of hole emission density of empty traps at E
t
and
probability that a hole would be emitted to valence band.
r
4
= N
t
[1 f(E
t
)]e
p
By considering the thermal equilibrium condition, r
3
= r
4
,
expression for e
p
can be derived as below
e
p
= v
th
C
p
n
i
exp

E
fi
E
t
kT

= n
i
v
th
C
p

p
As per SRH recombination theory, when the thermal equi-
librium is disturbed, the concentration of minority carriers
(electrons in case of p-type semiconductor) are generated. Due
to the generation of electron-hole pairs, the relative change in
the majority carrier hole concentration is a small fraction. On
the other hand, the relative change in the concentration of
electrons is appreciable. Under this situation, the net rate of
electron capture r
1
r
2
should be equal to net rate of hole
capture by traps at E
t
which is rate of recombination, R
R = r
1
r
2
= r
3
r
4
1) First, let us consider r
1
r
2
n[N
t
(1 f(E
t
))]v
th
C
n
[N
t
f(E
t
)]e
n
= R
nN
t
v
th
C
n
nN
t
v
th
C
n
f(E
t
) N
t
e
n
f(E
t
) = R
f(E
t
) =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
R
N
t
[nv
th
C
n
+e
n
]
=
nN
t
v
th
C
n
R

n
2) Now, let us consider r
3
r
4
p[N
t
f(E
t
)]v
th
C
p
N
t
[1 f(E
t
)]e
p
= R
pN
t
f(E
t
)v
th
C
p
N
t
e
p
+f(E
t
)N
t
e
p
= R
f(E
t
) =
R +N
t
e
p
N
t
[pv
th
C
p
+e
p
]
=
R +N
t
e
p

p
3) Now, equate the two expressions for f(E
t
)
nN
t
v
th
C
n
R

n
=
R +N
t
e
p

p
nN
t
v
th
C
n

p
R
p
= R
n
+N
t
e
p

n
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n

p
N
t
e
p

p
+
n
Use expression for
p
and
n
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
N
t
[pv
th
C
p
+e
p
] N
t
e
p
N
t
[nv
th
C
n
+e
n
]
N
t
[pv
th
C
p
+e
p
] +N
t
[nv
th
C
n
+e
n
]
4) N
t
term is common in numerator and denominator.
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
[pv
th
C
p
+e
p
] N
t
e
p
[nv
th
C
n
+e
n
]
[pv
th
C
p
+e
p
] + [nv
th
C
n
+e
n
]
5) Use expression for e
p
and e
n
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
[pv
th
C
p
+n
i
v
th
C
p

p
] N
t
e
p
[nv
th
C
n
+n
i
v
th
C
n

n
]
[pv
th
C
p
+n
i
v
th
C
p

p
] + [nv
th
C
n
+n
i
v
th
C
n

n
]
6) v
th
term is common in denominator and numerator.
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
C
p
[p +n
i

p
] N
t
e
p
C
n
[n +n
i

n
]
C
p
[p +n
i

p
] +C
n
[n +n
i

n
]
7) Use expression for e
p
R =
nN
t
v
th
C
n
C
p
[p +n
i

p
] N
t
n
i
v
th
C
p

p
C
n
[n +n
i

n
]
C
p
[p +n
i

p
] +C
n
[n +n
i

n
]
8) Divide numerator and denominator by N
t
v
th
C
n
C
p
.
R =
n[p +n
i

p
] n
i

p
[n +n
i

n
]
1
Ntv
th
Cn
[p +n
i

p
] +
1
Ntv
th
Cp
[n +n
i

n
]
9) The terms
n0
=
1
Ntv
th
Cn
and
p0
=
1
Ntv
th
Cp
are mean
electron and hole lifetimes at trap level.
R =
np +nn
i

p
nn
i

p
n
2
i

p
]

n0
[p +n
i

p
] +
p0
[n +n
i

n
]
R =
[np n
2
i
]

n0

p +n
i
exp

E
fi
Et
kT

+
p0

n +n
i

EtE
fi
kT

R =
[np n
2
i
]

n0
[p +p
t
] +
p0
[n +n
t
]
(1)
where p
t
= n
i
exp

E
fi
Et
kT

and n
t
= n
i

EtE
fi
kT

.
10) Expression for p
t
and n
t
can be written in terms of N
v
and N
c
, respectively, as follows
p
t
= N
v
exp

(E
t
E
v
)
kT

n
t
= N
c
exp

(E
c
E
t
)
kT