Department of Physics and Astrophysics

University of Delhi

Tutorial sheet 6: Solid State Physics, PH-CT 409, M.Sc./II Sem, 10.4.2020

1. Explain how conductivity varies in an intrinsic semiconductor and in a metallic conductor

with increasing temperature. Explain quantitatively the difference in conductivity between
intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors.

2. The number of electron-hole pairs in intrinsic germanium (Ge) is given by ni = 9.7 ×

1015 T 3/2 E −Eg /2KT cm3 (Eg = 0.72 eV). What is the density of pairs at T = 20o C? Explain
if undoped Ge will be a good conductor at 200o C.

3. Band gap of Si depends on temperature as

T2
Eg = 1.17eV − 4.73 × 10−4
T + 636
. Find the concentration of electrons in the conduction band of intrinsic Si at T = 77K, if
at 300K we have ni = 1.05 × 1010 cm−3 .

4. Electron mobility in Si is 1400 cm2 V −1 s−1 . Calculate the mean free time in scattering of
electrons. The effective mass is m∗e /m0 = 0.33.

5. Suppose the conduction band bottom is at k = 0, and an electron moves with a wave-
number k = 109 /m.

(a) Find the energy of this electron as measured from the bottom of the conduction band
given that the effective mass of electrons in the conduction band is 0.3me .
(b) Electrons in the conduction band will occupy some states up until about kB T above
the bottom of the conduction band. Determine the maximum k that electrons would
have due to thermal energy at room temperature? Also can you think its consequences
in case of a light emitting diode?

6. Considering Na as a BCC structure of unit cell size 0.5400 nm, calculate the Hall coefficient
based on a free electron model. Next, determine the Hall mobility of a specimen when both
types of carriers (electrons and holes) are present (this is Question 3, Chapter 8 of Kittel).
Determine the Hall coefficient for InSb (band gap = 0.15 eV , me = 0.014 m, mp = 0.18
m, where m is the free electron mass)..

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7. What happens to the Fermi level in a semiconductor with increase in dopant concentration
? What is the effect of temperature on it ? Give valid reasons.