Model Questions for PMMD course

Q1. Find the density of impurity atoms that must be added to an intrinsic silicon crystal to obtain
(a) p-type silicon with resistivity of 0.1 m, (b) n-type silicon with the same resistivity of
0.1 m. Calculate the concentration of the majority and minority carriers in each case.

Q2. In a semiconductor at room temperature (300K) the intrinsic carrier concentration and
resistivity are 1.5  1016 /m3 and 2 103 m respectively. It is converted to an extrinsic
n-type semiconductor with doping concentration of 1020/m3. For the extrinsic
semiconductor calculate (a) minority carrier concentration (b) resistivity (c) shift in the
Fermi level due to doping (d) minority carrier concentration when its temperature is
increased to value at which the intrinsic concentration ni doubles. Assume the mobility of
majority and minority carriers to be the same.

Q3. Silicon at T=300K is doped at impurity concentrations of Nd=1016 cm-3 and Na=0. Excess
carriers are generated such that the steady state values are n=p=5  1014 cm-3.
(a) Calculate the thermal equilibrium Fermi level with respect to Ei (b) Determine Fn and
Fp with respect to Ei. Also draw the energy level diagram.

Q4. An Au-n-Si junction with Nd= 5  1015 cm-3 has a cross sectional area of A=5 10-4 cm2,
T=300 K, m= 5.1 V, s= 4.1 V. (a) Determine the junction capacitance when VR= 4V.
(b) Repeat part (a) if the doping is increased to Nd= 5  1016 cm-3.

Q5. A silicon pn junction at T=300Khas the following parameters: Na= 5  1016 cm-3, Nd= 1 
1016 cm-3, Dn= 25 cm2, Dp= 10 cm2, n= 5  10-7 s, p = 1  10-7 s. The cross sectional area
A= 10-3 cm2, and forward bias voltage is 0.625 V. Calculate (a) minority electron diffusion
current at the space charge edge, (b) minority hole diffusion current at the space charge
edge, and (c) the total current in the pn junction diode.

Q6. An abrupt Si pn junction at T= 300 K has an area of 1mm2. The measured junction
capacitance Cj as function of the bias is given by the relation :
  10 6 3  5 V  where Cj is expressed in F and V in volt. Determine the built in
1 5
2
C j 11
voltage and the depletion region width at zero bias.

Q7. State the following statements TRUE or FALSE. 1  5 = 5 Marks

(i) Intrinsic semiconductors at 273 K behaves as insulator.
(ii) Conductivity of a semiconductor can be controlled by adding impurity.
(iii) If the reverse bias applied across a step pn junction diode is increased four times, then
the depletion layer capacitance of the diode becomes half.
(iv) In an unbiased p-n junction current does not flow because carriers do not cross the
junction.
(v) Total current through any p-n junction is only due to drift charge carriers.

Q8. Choose the correct answer. 1  5 = 5 Marks

(i) The breakdown mechanism in a lightly doped p-n junction under reverse biased
condition is called…………………….
(a) zener breakdown (b) avalanche breakdown (c) Tunnelling (d) None of these

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(ii) The main reason why electrons tunnel through a P-N junction is that
(a) they have high energy (b) barrier potential is very low
(c) depletion layer is extremely thin (d) impurity level is low.

(iii) With the increase in temperature resistivity of a semiconductor

(a) increases (b) decreases (c) neither increase nor decreases (d) none of these

(iv) Doping materials are called impurities because they

(a) decrease the number of charge carriers
(b) change the chemical properties of semiconductors
(c) make semiconductor less than 100 percent pure
(d) alter the crystal structure of pure semiconductors.

(v) The width of a depletion layer of a PN junction

(a) decreases with light doping
(b) increases with heavy doping
(c) is independent of doping
(d) is increased under reverse bias

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Q1. (a) A GaAs sample is doped such that the electron and hole components of
current are equal in an applied electric field. Calculate the equilibrium
electron-hole concentrations, net doping, and the sample resistivity at 300K.
Given n=8500 cm2/V-s, p=400 cm2/V-s, and ni=1.8  106 cm-3.

(b) The resistivity of a Ge sample is measured at 300K. The sample is then

remelted and doped with 4.4 1016 arsenic atoms cm-3. A new crystal is
grown that has a resistivity of 0.1 -cm and is n-type. Determine the type
and concentration of dopant atoms in the original sample and the value of o.
Assume n = 2p = 3000 cm2/V-s.

(c) A sample of germanium is doped with 1020 donor atoms/m3 and 5  1021
acceptor atoms/m3. Find the total conduction current density if the
resistivity of intrinsic germanium at 300K is 0.6 m with an applied field of 0.02
V/m. Given the mobility of electrons is two times the mobility of holes and
19 -3
ni = 2.5  10 m at 300K.

Q2. (a) An Aluminium rod of dimension 5 mm 0.03 mm 0.025 mm has the resistivity
of 0.4510-7 cm. (i) What would be the voltage across it, if the current 5
mA flows through it? (ii) What is the amount of current that flows if a
voltage of 5 mV is applied across it?

(b) Calculate the saturation current density in an abrupt junction having data
like: Nd = 1021/m3, Na =1022/m3, Dn =3.410-3 m2/s, Dp = 1.210-3 m2/s,
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Ln =7.1  10 m, Lp = 3.5  10-4m, ni = 1.5 1016/m3.
 ( EC  EF )  ( EF  EV )

(c) If n0  N C e , p0  NV e , show that n 0 p 0  n i2 . Give the

kT kT

definition of each term in the expressions.

Q3 (a) What is the value of depletion capacitance across an abrupt p +- n junction of

Si with and without reverse bias of 4V having VO = 0.8V, Nd = 4  1021/m3, s=12,
junction area= 4  10-7 m2?

(b) Calculate the depletion width and maximum field at zero bias for a p +-n
abrupt junction with Na=1025/m3, Nd=1022/m3, ni=1.5 1016/m3, =12 0, and the
built in potential=0.576 V.

(c)With reference to a four-layer diode, draw labeled figures showing (i) basic
structure (ii) two transistor analogy and (iii) I-V Characteristic.

Q4 (a) A Ge p-n junction diode has Nd=2 1016 cm-3 on the n-side and Na=3 1019 cm-3
on the p-side. Calculate the forward voltage at which the injected hole
concentration at the edge of the depletion region on the n-side becomes
equal to the majority carrier concentration. Assuming T=300K, Dp=42 cm2
sec-1, and p=3  10-7 sec, calculate the current density at this voltage.

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 (b) An unknown semiconductor has Eg=1.15 eV and NC=NV. It is doped with 1015
cm-3 donors where the donor level is 0.25 eV below E C. Given that EF is 0.35
eV below EC,calculate ni and the concentrations of electrons and holes in
the semiconductor at 300K.

Q5 (a) Find the maximum width of the depletion region for an ideal MOS capacitor
on p-type Si with Na=1018 cm-3.
(b) Calculate the effective capacitance, if N a= 1018 cm-3 and thickness of SiO2 is
100 Å in a silicon MOS capacitor. Given i=3.90.

Q6 (a) The bias in a Si MOS capacitor is changed from inversion to accumulation

mode. If the substrate doping is 1016/cm3 donors, what is the change in the
surface band bending at 100 °C? Given ni=21012/cm3 at 100°C.
(b) An n-channel Si JFET has a= 1 m, =11.80, VP=7.5 V, and VO= 0.8 V. Find the
doping in the p+ region and channel region.
(c) The following data is given for n-channel JFET at 300 K.
Nd= 1023 m-3, r=12, L=8  10-6 m, Z=10  10-6 m, = 5  10-8 m,
VP=3.012 V. Calculate ID, if VD=5V and VG=-0.5 V.
Q7 (a) Calculate the contact potential of a p-n junction with depletion width=0.3
m, Nd=1022/m3, Na= 41021/m3, and =10 0.
(b) Obtain the pinch-off voltage of a p-channel silicon FET with its width=2
microns, resistivity of 0.1 cm, dielectric constant of 11.8 and mobility of
holes of 480 cm2/V-s.
(c) Following data is given for p-type substrate.
s= 0.347 V, Na= 1018 cm-3, s=11.80.
Calculate the electric field perpendicular to the surface at 300 K.

Q8 (a) A p-n-p transistor has Wb= 0.2 m, p= 400 cm2/V-s, p=25 s, and IB=100 A.
Calculate Gse, Cse, and gm of the transistor.
(b) The excess hole concentration at the edge of emitter depletion region is
5.46  1011 cm-3. If p=25 s, Wb=0.2 m, area A=0.25  10-6 cm2, calculate IB.
(c) Si n-channel MOSFET has Z=50 m and L=2 m. Calculate the drain current at
VG=5V, VD=0.1 V. Assume the electron channel mobility n=200 cm2/V-s and
substrate is connected to source. Given VT=1.03 V, gate oxide thickness=100 Å
and i=3.9 0.