Example

Given density states related effective masses of electrons and holes in Si are
approximately 1.08 me and 0.60 me, respectively, the electron and hole drift mobilities
at RT are 1350 and 450 cm2 V-1 S-1, respectively, calculate the intrinsic concentration
andd intrinsic
i t i i resistivity
i ti it off Si.
Si The
Th bandgap
b d off the
th Si is
i 1.10
1 10 eV.
V

⎛ Eg ⎞
n = N c N v exp ⎜⎜ −
i
2
⎟⎟
⎝ kT ⎠

( )( )
⎛ 2π × 1.08 × 9.1×10 −31 kg 1.38 ×10 − 23 JK −1 (300 K ) ⎞
3/ 2
3/2
⎛ 2 π m e* kT ⎞ N c= 2⎜ ⎟
N c = 2 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ⎜
⎝ ( −34
6.63 × 10 Js J
2
) ⎟
⎠
⎝ h2 ⎠ = 2.81×10 25 m −3

( )( )
⎛ 2π × 0.6 × 9.1×10 −31 kg 1.38 ×10 − 23 JK −1 (300 K ) ⎞
3/ 2

N v= 2⎜ ⎟
3/2
⎛ 2 π m h* kT ⎞ ⎜ ( ) ⎟
N v = 2 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
−34 2
⎝ 6.63 ×10 Js ⎠
2
⎝ h ⎠ = 1.16 × 10 25 m −3

1
 ⎛ Eg ⎞
n i = (N c N v ) ⎜
exp ⎜ − ⎟⎟
1/ 2

⎝ 2 kT ⎠

[(
= 2 . 81 × 10 25 −3
)(1 .16 × 10 25 −3
)]
1/ 2 ⎡
exp ⎢ −
(
1 . 10 × 1 . 6 × 10 −19 J) ⎤
m m
(
⎣ 2 (300 K ) 1 . 38 × 10
− 23
JK −1
)
⎥
⎦
= 1 . 0 × 10 16 m − 3 = 1 . 0 × 10 10 cm − 3

σ = en μ e + ep μ h

What is mean speed of electrons in conduction band at temperature of 300K?

1 * 2 3
KE = me ve = kT
2 2

ve = =
(
3kT ⎡ 3 × 1 .38 × 10 − 23 × 300 ⎤
= × 5 −1 )
me*
⎢
⎣ 0 . 26 × 9 . 1(× 10 − 31 ⎥
⎦
2 . 3 10 ms
)
Effective mass related to conductivity 2
MaxweL-Boltzman distribution of the particle:

E
Energy di t ib ti
distribution

speed distribution

Typical speeds:

The most probable speed, vp, is the speed most likely to be possessed by any
molecule in the system
y

3
 The mean speed is the mathematical average of the speed distribution

The root mean square speed, vrms is the square root of the average squared speed

The typical speeds are related as follows

4
In metal:
1) Classical mode, the mean free path = mean speed ×mean free time, the mean
speed is also derived from the quantum mechanics and equal to the speed of
the electron at Fermi level.
2) Quantum mechanics: mean free path = the speed of the electron at Fermi level
× mean free time (Fermi-Dirac
(Fermi Dirac distribution)

In semiconductor- Maxwel-Boltzman distribution

1) mean free path = the mean speed × mean free time

Root mean square speed can be used since the two speeds are very
close.

8kT
8 kT
v
= πm = 8
= 0 .92
v2 3kT 3π
m
5
Example

A n-type Si semiconductor containing 1016 donors cm-3 has been doped with 1017
acceptors cm-3. Calculate the electron and hole concentration in this semiconductor.

The semiconductor has been compensation doped with excess acceptors over donors,
so

Na − Nd =1017 −1016 = 9×1016cm−3

1010 cm-3 at room temperature,
This is much larger than the intrinsic concentration 11×10
so

p = N a − N d = 9 ×1016 cm −3
The electron concentration:

n=
n 2
=
(
1× 10 cm10
=
)
−3 2
× 3 −3

( )
i
1.1 10 cm
p 9 × 1016 cm −3 6
Example

a. A Si sample has been doped with 1017 Arsenic atoms cm-3. calculate the conductivity
of the sample at 300 K and 400K. Given the drift mobility at 300k is 800 cm2 V-1s-1

Nd(1017cm-3)>>ni (1010 cm-3) n=N ( i)2/n<<n

Nd, p=(n /

At 300K, μ=800 cm2 V-1s-1

800
σ = eN d μ e = (1.60 ×10 −19 C )(1017 cm −3 )(800cm 2V −1s −1 ) = 12.8Ω −1cm −1

μ (400 K ) = A(400 K ) −3 / 2 ,
μ (300 K ) = A(300 K ) −3 / 2 = 800cm 2V −1s −1

−3 / 2

( 2 ⎛ 400 ⎞
μ (400 K ) = 800cm V s −1 ⎜−1
⎟ ) = 520cm 2V −1s −1
⎝ 300 ⎠

σ = eN d μ e = (1.60 ×10 −19 C )(1017 cm −3 )(520cm 2V −1s −1 ) = 8.32Ω −1cm −1

7
b. the above n-type Si sample is further doped with 9×1016 boron atoms cm-3. calculate the
conductivity of the sample at 300 K.

The electron concentration after

compensation doping is
1200

n = N d − N a = 1016 cm −3
800

600

The drift mobility is μ=1200 cm2 V-1s-1

Is this correct?

1 9 ×1017
No since the total ionized atoms are now 1.9
No,

σ = eN d μ e = (1.60 ×10 −19 C )(1016 cm −3 )(600cm 2V −1s −1 ) = 0.96Ω −1cm −1

8
Calculate the hole concentration when a step illumination is applied to n-type
semiconductor at time t=0 and switch off at t =toff ( toff>>τh). Given the rate of
photogeneration Gph,

dΔpn Δpn
= G phh −
dt τh

0 ≤ t ≤t off , G ph = const

⎡ ⎛ Δpn ⎞⎤ t
ln ⎢G ph − ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎥ = − + C
⎣ ⎝ τ h ⎠⎦ τh

C is the integration constant. At t=0, Δp=0, C=lnGph

⎡ ⎛ t ⎞⎤
Δpn = τ hG ph ⎢1 − exp⎜⎜ − ⎟⎟⎥
⎣ ⎝ τ h ⎠⎦

At t>>τh, Δp reaches a steady value Δp(∞)= τhGph 9

 At the instant the illumination is switched off, toff>>τh,

Δpn (toff ) = τ hG ph

We define t’ to be the time measured from t=toff, that is t’=t-toff

Δpn (t ' = 0) = τ hG ph

Substituting Gph=0

dΔpn Δpn
=−
dt τh

⎛ t' ⎞
Δ p n (t ' ) = Δ p n (0 ) exp ⎜⎜ − ⎟⎟
⎝ τh ⎠
Δpn (t ' = 0 ) = τ hG ph
⎛ t' ⎞
Δ p n (t ' ) = τ h G ph exp ⎜⎜ − ⎟⎟ 10
⎝ τh ⎠
Suppose that a direct bandgap semiconductor (CdS) is
illuminated with light intensity of I=1mW/cm2 and
wave length
l h λ=450nm.
λ 450 Th area off illumination
The ill i i
A=(L×W)=(1mm ×1mm) and the thickness of the
semiconductor is D=0.1mm. If the quantum efficiency
((number of free EHPs ggenerated pper absorbed pphoton))
is unity. The recombination time τ=1ms. The steady
photoconductivity is defined as Δσ=σ(in light)-σ(in
dark)

a. Calculate the number of EHPs generated per second

The intensity of light-I is the energy flowing per unit area per second and hν is the energy
per photon. The number of photons arriving per unit area per unit second (photon flux) is
I/hν.
The photogeneration rate per unit volume –Gpph ( the number of EHPs generated per unit
volume per unit second) is given by

λ
υ=
⎛ I ⎞ c
A⎜
υ
⎟ Iλ
G ph = ⎝
h ⎠= I G ph =
AD hυD hcD 11
In the steady state.
Iλ
G ph =
dΔn Δn hcD
τIλ
= G ph − =0 Δn = τG ph =
dt τ hcD

Total number of the EHPs generated per unit second in the volume AD is

⎛ Iλ ⎞ AIλ
EHPs = ( AD )G ph = ( AD )⎜ ⎟=
⎝ hcD ⎠ hc

EHPs =
( )( )(
AIλ 10 −3 × 10 −3 m 2 10 −3 ×10 4 Js −1m 2 450 ×10 −9 m
=
)
hc ( )(
6.63 × 10 −34 Js 3 × 108 ms −1 )
= 2.26 × 1013 EHP s -1

12
 Calculate the photoconductivity of the sample. Given the electron mobility
μe=0.034 m2V-1s-1 and hole mobility μh=0.0018 m2V-1s-1 .

Δσ = σ (in light ) − σ (in dark )

= (eμ e n + eμ h p ) − (eμ e no + eμ h po )
= eμ e Δn + eμ h Δp = eΔn(μ e + μ h )

τIλ
Δn = τG ph =
hcD

eτIλ (μ e + μ h )
Δσ =
hcD

Δσ =
(1.6 ×10 −19
)( )( )( )(
C 10 −3 s 10 −3 ×10 4 Js −1m 2 450 ×10 −9 m 0.0358m 2V −1s −1 + 0.0018m 2V −1s −1 )
( )( )(
6.63 ×10 −34 Js 3 × 108 ms −1 0.1×10 −3 m)
= 1.30Ω −1m −1
13
Calculate the photocurrent produced if 50 V is applied to the sample.

ΔJ = EΔσ =
V ⎛ 50V ⎞
( )
Δσ = ⎜ −3 ⎟ 1.30Ω −1m −1 = 6.50 × 10 4 Am − 2
L ⎝ 10 m ⎠

( )(
ΔI = ΔJ (DW ) = 6.50 ×10 4 Am −2 10 −3 m × 0.1×10 −3 m = 6.5 × 10 −3 A )

14
In one dimension, for example, along x direction, the diffusion coefficient for electron
is given

l2 l = v xτ
De = De = v x2τ
τ

In conduction band and in one dimension, the mean KE of electron is 1/2kT

1 1 * 2 kT
kT = me v x v = *
2
x
2 2 me

eτ
kTτ μe =
De = v τ = *
2 me* k
kT
x
me De = μe
e
Boltzmann statistics,
statistics Einstein relation is valid in semiconductor but not for
conduction electron in metal.
15
How about a degenerate semiconductor?