EE 533000 Homework II Fall 2013

Due: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013

1. Assume a material has an E - k diagram given by

E(k) =Ec + E1 sin2 (ka) for the conduction band.
E(k) =Ev + E2 cos (ka) for the valence band.
Assuming a = 0.5 nm, E1 = 5eV, and E2 = 4eV.
(a) What is the effective mass for an electron near the bottom edge of the conduction band?
(b) What is the effective mass for holes near the top edge of the valence band?

2. In the attempt to find the E-k relationship for particles, for example, electrons, in a 1-d
periodic potential whose periodicity is a, we have used Fourier series expansion for both the
periodic potential and the Bloch function. We have, however, used limited terms for both
expansions. We have used U0 and U-1 for the Bloch function and v-1, v0 and v+1 for the
potential. By solving the Schrodinger equation, we have obtained the following E-k
relationship, where K-1 = -2/a and at k = k1 = /a, there is an energy gap and the allowable
energy levels split in two bands. The lower energy band has a maximum and the higher
energy band has a minimum. Derive, step by step, the effective mass mn*= (h/2)2 / (d2E/dk2)
= (E-E1) / (E+E1) around the two extremes, where E1=(h/2)2 k12 /2mo and mo is the free
electron mass. Hint: take the second derivative of the E-k relationship.

[(h/2)2 k2 /2m0 +v0 E] [(h/2)2 (k+K-1)2 /2m0 +v0 E] = v+1 v-1 = v+1 2

3. Use the density-of-states for a bulk semiconductot and the Fermi-Dirac distribution to prove
that the average energy of electrons in the conduction band would be (3/2) kT.

4. Assuming the silicon sample is not compensated, find the temperature and the doping
concentration at which the Fermi level aligns with the donor level of phosphorous in silicon
in the following two cases, (a) the Fermi-Dirac distribution also holds for donor impurities as
the conduction band electrons do and (b) a degeneracy factor gd=2 is taken into account in
the Fermi-Dirac distribution . Note that the effective electron mass mn*=1.065mo where mo is
the free electron mass. The donor level is 0.045 eV below the conduction band edge, Ec.
Does your results support the assumption that the Fermi level is at least 3 kT below the Fermi
level?