Lecture #18

OUTLINE

• pn junctions (cont’d)
– Charge control model

Reading: Finish Chapter 6.3

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Minority-Carrier Charge Storage
• When VA>0, excess minority carriers are stored
in the quasi-neutral regions of a pn junction:
-¥ ¥
QN = - qAò Dn p ( x)dx QP = qAò Dpn ( x)dx
-xp xn

= - qADn p (- x p ) LN = qADpn ( xn ) LP

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Derivation of Charge Control Model
• Consider a forward-biased pn junction. The total
excess hole charge in the¥ n quasi-neutral region is:
QP = qA ò Dpn ( x, t )dx
xn
• The minority carrier diffusion equation is (without GL):
¶Dpn ¶ 2 Dpn Dpn
= DP 2
-
¶t ¶x tp

• Since the electric field is very small,

¶Dp n
J P = -qDP ¶x

• Therefore: ¶ (qDpn ) ¶J
=- P -
qDpn
¶t ¶x tp

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 (Long Base Diode)
• Integrating over the n quasi-neutral region:
J P (¥)
¶é ù 1 é ù
¥ ¥

êqA ò Dpn dx ú = - A ò dJ P - êqA ò Dpn dx ú

¶t êë x n úû J p ( xn )
t p êë x n úû

• Furthermore, in a p+n junction:

J P (¥)

-A ò dJ P = - AJ P (¥) + AJ P ( xn ) = AJ P ( xn ) @ iDIFF
J p ( xn )

dQP Q
• So: = iDIFF - P
dt tp

Prof. Changhwan Shin

 Charge Control Model
We can calculate pn-junction current in 2 ways:
1. From slopes of Dnp(-xp) and Dpn(xn)
2. From steady-state charges QN, QP stored in each
excess-minority-charge distribution:
dQP QP
= AJ P ( xn ) - =0
dt τp
QP
Þ AJ P ( xn ) = I P ( xn ) =
τp
- QN
Similarly, I N (- x p ) =
τn

Prof. Changhwan Shin

Charge Control Model for Narrow Base
• For a narrow-base diode, replace tp and/or
tn by the minority-carrier transit time ttr
– time required for minority carrier to travel across the
quasi-neutral region
– For holes on narrow n-side:
WN 1
QP = qAò Dpn ( x)dx = qA Dpn ( xn )WN¢
xn 2
dDpn Dp ( x )
I P = AJ P = - qADP = qADP n n
dx WN¢
2
QP (WN¢ )
Þ τ tr , p = =
IP 2 DP 2
(WP¢ )
– Similarly, for electrons on narrow p-side: τ tr ,n =
2 DN
Prof. Changhwan Shin
 Summary
• Under forward bias, minority-carrier charge is stored
in the quasi-neutral regions of a pn diode.
ni2 qVA / kT
– Long base: QN = -qA
NA
e ( - 1 LN )
ni2 qVA / kT
QP = qA
ND
e ( - 1 LP)

1 ni2 qVA / kT
– Short base: QN = -qA
2 NA
e (- 1 WP¢ )
1 ni2 qVA / kT
QP = - qA
2 ND
e ( - 1 WN¢ )
Prof. Changhwan Shin
• The steady-state diode current can be viewed as the
charge supply required to compensate for charge
loss via recombination (long base) or collection at the
contacts (short base)

QN QP LN D N LP DP
– Long base: I = + Note that = and =
τn τ p τn LN τ p LP

QN QP
– Short base: I = +
τ tr ,n τ tr , p
2 2
(W )
= P
¢ (W )
= N
¢
where τ tr ,n τ tr , p
2 DN 2 DP
Prof. Changhwan Shin