Intrinsic semiconductor

An intrinsic semiconductor is an undoped semiconductor. Holes in the valence band are vacancies
created by electrons that have been thermally excited to the conduction band.
Electron and hole concentrations in the conduction and valence bands
Density of states N(E): gives the number of states (per unit volume and per unit energy) between E
and E+dE. Nc(E), Nv(E) represent the “room” available for electrons, holes in the conduction band,
valence band. For energies that are close to the extrema of these two bands:
4𝜋(2𝑚𝑒∗ )3/2
𝑔𝑛 (𝜖) = ℎ3
(𝜖 − 𝐸𝑐 )1/2

∗ 3/2
4𝜋(2𝑚ℎ )
𝑔𝑝 (𝜖) = (𝐸𝑣 − 𝜖)1/2 Planck constant - h=6.626.10-34Js
ℎ3

𝑚𝑒∗ , 𝑚ℎ∗ —— effective mass of electrons & holes, allows considering electrons & holes inside the
crystal as free particles. The semiconductor then becomes an electron & hole gas, but in which
electrons and holes have an effective mass which may be very different of the mass of the particle
moving in free space.
Fermi-Dirac distribution function : gives the probability for an electron to occupy a level with a given
energy E
1
f = f(ϵ) = 1+𝑒 (𝜖−𝐸𝐹)/𝑘𝑇 Boltzmann constant - k=1,38.10-23 JK-1

Electron concentration:
∞
n = ∫𝐸 𝑔𝑛 (𝜖)𝑓(𝜖)𝑑𝜖
𝑐

Hole concentration:
𝑣𝐸
p = ∫−∞ 𝑔𝑝 (𝜖)(1 − 𝑓(𝜖))𝑑𝜖

For a semiconductor whose Fermi level EF is located more than 3 kT away from the extrema, the Fermi
distribution function can be written under the form of a simple exponential, so that the expressions
for the charge carriers densities become :
𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐶 2𝜋𝑚𝑒∗ 𝑘𝑇 3/2
n = 𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝( ) 𝑁𝐶 = 2( )
𝑘𝑇 ℎ2

∗
𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹 2𝜋𝑚ℎ 𝑘𝑇 3/2
p = 𝑁𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝( ) 𝑁𝑉 = 2( 2 )
𝑘𝑇 ℎ

Where Nc et Nv are called the effective densities of states. They represent the density of “useful”
states, at a given temperature T, in their respective energy band.
For intrinsic semiconductors n=p, then The law of mass action: since it resembles the law of mass
action encountered in chemistry (for instance the auto-ionization equilibrium of water is governed by
[H+][OH-]=Ke).
np = 𝑛𝑖2
𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐶 𝐸𝑔
𝑛𝑖 = √𝑁𝑉 𝑁𝐶 exp ( 2𝑘𝑇
) = √𝑁𝑉 𝑁𝐶 exp (− 2𝑘𝑇)

ni is the density of intrinsic carriers, n=p= ni

𝐸𝐹𝑖 −𝐸𝐶 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹𝑖
𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( ) = 𝑁𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝( )
𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇

𝑁𝐶 𝑬𝑽 −𝑬𝑭𝒊 𝑬𝑭𝒊 −𝑬𝑪 𝑬𝑽 +𝑬𝑪 −𝟐𝑬𝑭𝒊

𝑁𝑉
= 𝒆𝒙𝒑 ( 𝒌𝑻
) 𝒆𝒙𝒑 (− 𝒌𝑻
) = 𝒆𝒙𝒑 ( 𝒌𝑻
)
 𝑬𝑪 +𝑬𝑽 𝒌𝑻 𝑵 𝑬𝒈 𝟑 𝒎∗𝒆 𝑬𝒈
𝑬𝑭𝒊 = + 𝒍𝒏 ( 𝑪 ) = + 𝒌𝑻𝒍𝒏( )≈ set 𝐸𝑉 = 0
𝟐 𝟐 𝑵𝑽 𝟐 𝟒 𝒎∗𝒉 𝟐

EFi is the intrinsic Fermi energy. Since at room temperature kT is significantly lower than the energy
gap, this level is located near the middle of the forbidden band.
Extrinsic semiconductor

The ionization energy 𝐸𝑑 of the electron in donor atom system :

𝜀 2 𝑚∗
𝐸𝑑 = ( 𝜀0 ) (𝑚𝑒 )𝐸𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑒

𝐸𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 13.6𝑒𝑉 which is the ionization energy of electron in hydrogen atom

The number of ionized donors:
𝑁𝐷
𝑁𝐷+ = 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐷 𝐸𝑑 = 𝐸𝐶 − 𝐸𝐷
1+𝑔𝐷 exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇

Where 𝑁𝐷 is total donor concentration, 𝑔𝐷 is the degeneracy factor = 2 for donors

Limiting cases:
𝐸𝐷 < 𝐸𝐹 → 𝑁𝐷+ ≈ 0
𝐸𝐷 > 𝐸𝐹 → 𝑁𝐷+ ≈ 𝑁𝐷
Charge neutrality condition: In equilibrium, the net charge at local point must be zero.
𝑁𝐷+ + 𝑝𝑛 = 𝑛𝑛 LFH: total positive charge, RHS: total negative charge, subscribe n stands for n-type
semiconductor.
𝑁𝐷 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐶
𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐷 + 𝑁𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( 𝑘𝑇
) = 𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝( 𝑘𝑇
)
1+2exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇

For a given 𝑁𝐷 , the only unknown is 𝐸𝐹 .

Limiting cases:
(a) 𝐸𝑑 ≪ 𝑘𝑇 ≪ 𝐸𝑔 : level to band transition dominates 𝑛𝑛 = 𝑁𝐷+ ≈ 𝑁𝐷 ⁡ 𝑎𝑛𝑑⁡ 𝑝𝑛 = 0⁡
(b) kT ≈ 𝐸𝑔 : high temperature regime, the band to band transition dominates, the semiconductor
becomes intrinsic 𝑛𝑛 = 𝑝𝑛 = 𝑛𝑖 ≫ 𝑁𝐷
(c) 𝐸𝑑 ≈ 𝑘𝑇: low energy regime
𝑁𝐷 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐶
𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐷 + 𝑁𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( 𝑘𝑇
) = 𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝( 𝑘𝑇
) 0
1+2exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇

𝑁𝐷 𝐸 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐶
Denote: a = b = 2exp⁡( 𝑑 ) x = exp⁡( )
𝑁𝐶 𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇

𝑎 −1±√1+4𝑎𝑏
=𝑥 b𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 𝑎 = 0 x=
1+𝑏𝑥 2𝑏

𝑎 𝑁 𝐸 𝑁𝐶 𝑁𝐷 𝐸𝑑
4ab ≫ 1 x = √ = √ 𝐷 exp⁡(− 𝑑 ) 𝑛𝑛 = 𝑁𝐶 𝑥 = √ exp⁡(− )
𝑏 2𝑁 2𝑘𝑇
𝐶 2 2𝑘𝑇

Position of the Fermi level:

𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝐶 𝐸𝐹𝑖 −𝐸𝐶 𝐸𝐹𝑛−𝐸𝐶
n = 𝑁𝐶 exp⁡( ) n𝑖 = 𝑁𝐶 exp⁡( ) n𝑛 = 𝑁𝐶 exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇
 𝐸𝐹𝑛 −𝐸𝐹𝑖 𝑛 𝑁𝐷
n𝑛 = 𝑛𝑖 exp⁡( ) 𝐸𝐹𝑛 = 𝐸𝐹𝑖 + 𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 ( 𝑛 ) = 𝐸𝐹𝑖 + 𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛( )
𝑘𝑇 𝑛𝑖 𝑛𝑖

The number of ionized acceptors:

𝑁𝐴
𝑁𝐴− = 1 𝐸𝐴 −𝐸𝐹
1+ exp⁡( )
4 𝑘𝑇

Limiting cases:
𝐸𝐴 < 𝐸𝐹 → 𝑁𝐴− ≈ 𝑁𝐴
𝐸𝐴 > 𝐸𝐹 → 𝑁𝐴− ≈ 0
Charge neutrality condition:
𝑝𝑝 = 𝑛𝑝 + 𝑁𝐴−
𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹𝑝 𝐸𝐹𝑝 −𝐸𝐶 𝑁𝐴
𝑁𝑉 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( ) = 𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ( ) +⁡ 1 𝐸𝐴 −𝐸𝐹
𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇 1+4exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇

Limiting cases:
(a) 𝐸𝑑 ≪ 𝑘𝑇 ≪ 𝐸𝑔 : moderate temperature regime 𝑝𝑝 = 𝑁𝐴− ≈ 𝑁𝐴 ⁡ 𝑎𝑛𝑑⁡ 𝑛𝑝 = 0⁡
(d) kT ≈ 𝐸𝑔 : high temperature regime 𝑛𝑝 = 𝑝𝑝 = 𝑛𝑖 ≫ 𝑁𝐴
(e) 𝐸𝑎 ≈ 𝑘𝑇: low energy regime
𝑁𝐴 1 𝐸𝐴 −𝐸𝑉 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹𝑝
Denote: a = b = exp⁡( ) x = exp⁡( )
𝑁𝑉 4 𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇

𝑁𝐶 𝐸𝑔 𝑎 𝑎 −1±√1+4𝑎𝑏
𝑥= exp (− )+ 0 𝑥= x=
𝑁𝑉 𝑥 𝑘𝑇 1+𝑏𝑥 1+𝑏𝑥 2𝑏

𝑎 𝑁 𝐸 𝐸𝑎
4ab ≫ 1 x = √ = 2√ 𝐴 exp⁡(− 𝑎 ) 𝑝𝑝 = 𝑁𝑉 𝑥 = 2√𝑁𝑉 𝑁𝐴 exp⁡(− )
𝑏 𝑁 2𝑘𝑇 𝑉 2𝑘𝑇

Position of the Fermi level:

𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹𝑖 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝐹𝑝
p = 𝑁𝑉 exp⁡( ) p𝑖 = 𝑁𝑉 exp⁡( ) p𝑝 = 𝑁𝑉 exp⁡( )
𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇 𝑘𝑇

𝐸𝐹𝑖 −𝐸𝐹𝑝 𝑁𝐴
p𝑝 = 𝑝𝑖 exp⁡( ) 𝐸𝐹𝑝 = 𝐸𝐹𝑖 − 𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 ( )
𝑘𝑇 𝑛𝑖