THE CITADEL

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

ELEC424
SOLID-STATE DEVICES
SPRING 2003 Due: 2/24/03

Homework #2

|1| (a) A Si sample is doped with 1017 boron atoms / cm 3 . What is the electron concentration
n0 at 300 K ? What is the resistivity when µ n = 900 cm2 / V-s and µ p = 320 cm2 / V-s at
this doping concentration ?
(b) A Ge sample is doped with 3 × 10 13 Sb atoms / cm 3 . Using the requirements of
space charge neutrality, calculate the electron concentration n0 at 300 EK .
(Streetman, 3rd.Ed., 3.9)

(a) Given: NA = 1017 atoms / cm 3 T = 300 EK

2
µn = 900 cm / V-s µ p = 320 cm2 / V-s

Find: n0 = ? D=?

Solution:

p0 – N A ' 1017

The intrinsic carrier concentration for Si is ni = 1.5 × 1010 cm-3.

2
n0p0 – n i ' (1.5x1010)2

2
ni (1.5x1010)2
n0 – '
p0 1017
 Answer: n0 = 2.25 × 10 3 cm-3

The conductivity of the sample is,

F ' q (µ nn0 % µ pp0) ' (1.6x10&19)[900(2.25x104) % 320(1017)]

F ' 5.12 (S&cm)&1

1 1
D ' '
F 5.12

Answer: D = 0.195 S-cm

(b) Given: ND = 3 × 10 13 cm-3 Germanium sample

T = 300 EK

Find: n0 = ?

Solution:

The doping concentration is close to the intrinsic carrier concentration for Ge, use charge
neutrality ,

% !
p0 % N D ' n0 % N A

where NA = 0, so that,

%
n0 ' N D % p0

and,
2
np ' n
substituting for p0 ,

2
ni
p0 '
n0

so that,

2
% ni
n0 ' ND %
n0

2 2
n0 ! NDn0 ! n i ' 0

2 2
ND ± N D % 4n i (3x1013) ± (3x1013) 2 % 4(2.5x1013)2
n0 ' '
2 2

Answer: n0 = 4.42 × 1013 cm-3

|2| Assume that silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide each have dopant concentrations of
 ND = 1 × 1013 cm-3 and NA = 2.5 × 1013 cm-3 at T = 300 EK . For each of the three
materials (a) Is this material n-type or p-type? (b) Calculate n0 and p0 .
(Neamen,3.24)

Given: Si, Ge, and GaAs material T = 300 EK

ND = 1 × 1013 cm-3
NA = 2.5 × 1013 cm-3

(a) Find: n- or p-type = ?

Solution:

Since NA > ND ,

Answer: all of the materials are doped p-type

(b) Find: n0 = ? p0 = ?

Solution:

Charge neutrality requires that,

! %
n0 % N A ' p0 % N D

and

2
n 0p 0 ' n i

2
ni ! %
% N A ' p0 % N D
p0
 2 2
p0 % (ND ! N A) p0 ! n i ' 0

2
! (N D ! NA) ± (N D ! NA)2 % 4n i
p0 '
2

where,

(ND ! NA) ' (1x1013) ! (2.5x1013) ' ! 1.5x1013

For Si, ni = 1.5 × 1010 cm-3

1.5x1013 ± (1.5x1013)2 % 4(1.5x1010)i 2

p0 '
2

Answer: p0 = 1.5 x 1013 cm-3

2
ni (1.5x1010)2
n0 ' '
p0 1.5x1013

Answer: n0 = 1.5 x 107 cm-3

For Ge, ni = 2.4 × 1013 cm-3

1.5x1013 ± (1.5x1013)2 % 4(2.4x10130)2

p0 '
2
 Answer: p0 = 3.26 x 1013 cm-3

2
ni (2.4x10130)2
n0 ' '
p0 3.26x1013

Answer: n0 = 1.77 x 1013 cm-3

Note: This material is just slightly p-type, it is almost intrinsic.

For GaAs, ni = 1.8 × 106 cm-3

1.5x1013 ± (1.5x1013)2 % 4(1.8x10610)2

p0 '
2

Answer: p0 = 1.5 x 1013 cm-3

2
ni (1.8x10610)2
n0 ' '
p0 1.5x1013

Answer: n0 = 0.22 cm-3

|3| For a particular semiconductor material, T = 300 K, NC = 1 × 10 18 cm-3 , and
NV = 1019 cm-3 . Let Eg = 1.45 eV . Determine the position of the intrinsic Fermi level
with respect to the center of the bandgap. (Neamen, 3.8)

Given: Eg = 1.45 eV T = 300 EK

NC = 1 × 10 18 cm-3 NV = 1019 cm-3

Find: Ei ! Emidgap = ?

Solution:

For an intrinsic material, the electron concentration and the hole concentration are equal.

n0 ' p0

! (EC ! E i) ! (E i ! E V)
n0 'NC exp ' N V exp ' p0
kT kT

! (EC ! Ei)
exp
kT NV
'
! (Ei ! E V) NC
exp
kT

! (E C ! E i) (Ei ! EV) NV
exp exp '
kT kT NC

(! E C % E i % Ei ! EV) NV
exp '
kT NC
 2Ei ! (EC % E V) NV
exp '
kT NC

NV
2Ei ! (EC % EV) ' kT ln
NC

(EC % EV) kT NV
Ei ! ' ln
2 2 NC

kT NV 0.026 1x1019
Ei ! Emidgap ' ln ' ln
2 NC 2 1x1018

Answer: Ei ! Emidgap = 0.03 eV

|4| The Fermi energy for copper at T = 300 K is 7.0 eV. The electrons in copper follow
the Fermi-Dirac distribution function. (a) Find the probability of an energy level at
7.15 eV being occupied by an electron. (b) Repeat part (a) for T = 1000 EK . (Assume
that EF is a constant.) (c) Repeat part (a) for E = 6.85 eV and T = 300 EK. (d)
Determine the probability of the energy state at E = EF being occupied at T = 300 EK
and at T = 1000EK. (Neamen, 2.28)

Given: EF = 7.0 eV at T = 300 EK

Fermi-Dirac distribution applies

(a) Find: f(E) = ? for an electron with E = 7.15 eV

Solution:

The Fermi-Dirac distribution function is given by,

1
f(E) '
E ! EF
1 % exp
kT

Then, for an electron with E = 7.15 eV,

1
f(E) '
7.15 ! 7.0
1 % exp
0.0259

(a) Answer: f(E) = 3.05 × 10!3

(b) Find: f(E) = ? for an electron with E = 7.15 eV at T = 1000 EK

Solution:

kT ' (8.62x10&5)(1000) ' 0.0862 eV

 1
f(E) '
0.15
1 % exp
0.0862

(b) Answer: f(E) = 0.149

(c) Find: f(E) = ? if E = 6.85 eV at T = 300 EK

Solution:

1
f(E) '
! 0.15
1 % exp
0.0259

(c) Answer: f(E) = 0.997

(d) Find: f(E) = ? for electrons at E = EF at T = 300 EK , T = 1000 EK

Solution:

1
f(E) '
0
1 % exp
kT

(d) Answer: f(E) = 0.5 independent of the temperature

|5| A silicon sample at 300 K is doped with 3 × 1015 cm!3 acceptor atoms. Find the donor
atom concentration that must be added to the sample so that the electron concentration is
n0 = 1016 cm!3. What is the position of the Fermi energy level with respect to the
conduction band edge, that is EC ! EF ? You may assume that the intrinsic Fermi energy
level is at midgap.

Given: silicon sample T = 300EK

Ei is at midgap
NA = 3 × 1015 cm!3

Find: ND = ? so that n0 = 1016 cm!3

EC ! EF = ?

Solution:

When n 0 = 1016 cm!3 , the hole concentration is,

2
ni (1.5x1010)2
p0 ' ' ' 2.25x104 cm !3
n0 10 16

Use the equation for charge neutrality,

n0 % NA! ' p0 % ND%

All of the dopant atoms are ionized at 300 EK, so that,

% !
ND ' n0 % N A ! p0 ' 1016 % 3x1015 ! 2.25x104

Answer: ND = 1.3 × 1016 cm-3

To find the position of the Fermi level,

(E F ! E i ) / kT
n0 ' n i e
 n0 1016
EF ! Ei ' kT ln ' 0.0259 ln
ni 1.5x1010

EF ! Ei ' 0.347 eV

EC ! EF ' (EC ! Ei) ! (EF ! Ei) ' 0.56 ! 0.347

Answer: EC ! EF = 0.213 eV