Semiconductor Devices and Circuits

ECE1002

PN Junction, Formation, Current Flow

12 03-Jan-18 WED PN Junctions, Formation of Junction, Physical operation of diode

13 05-Jan-18 FRI Contact potential and Space Charge phenomena, I - V Characteristics,

14 09-Jan-18 TUE Numerical

15 10-Jan-18 WED Zener diode

16 12-Jan-18 FRI Lecture by Rajshekar

17 16-Jan-18 TUE Tunnel diode, Varactor diode

18 17-Jan-18 WED LED, OLED, and Photo Diode

19 19-Jan-18 FRI Review

CAT-1 20-01-2018 (Saturday) - 28-01-2018 (Sunday)

Prof. D. Kannadassan, TTA 102C

Centre for
Center For Nanotechnology
C Nanotechnology Research, VIT University
Research dkannadassan@vit.ac.in
N
R References: S. M. Sze, M. S. Tyagi, Jacob Millman, ChenMing. Hu
 pn-Junction
p-n junctions are of great importance both in modern electronic applications
and in understanding other semiconductor devices. The p-n junction theory
serves as the foundation of the physics of semiconductor devices. The basic
theory of current-voltage characteristics of p-n junctions was established by
Shockley
??!

p type n type

 W. Shockley, “The Theory of p-n Junctions in Semiconductors and p-n Junction

Transistors,” Bell Syst. Tech. J., 28,435 (1949)
 W. Shockley, Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors, D. Van Nostrand, Princeton,
New Jersey, 1950
 Oxidation Fabrication of pn-junction
SiO2
pn-junction won‟t form simply by
n-type Si pressing the p-type and n-type material to
gather, instead one has to „create p-type in
n-type material by selective doping‟

SiO2 Etching SiO2 • Wafer Cleaning

n-type Si • Oxidation

• Etching

• Ion implantation
SiO2 Ion-Imp SiO2
P-type • Evaporation > Contacts
n-type
• Characterization
 Types of Junctions
n
NA ND
• Abrupt Junction

• Linearly Graded Junction

• Diffused Junction
   x   
nx   N B e   1
 
 pn junction - Formation
junction
When p-type and n-type regions brought intimate contact, the
majority carriers of n-type, i.e., electrons, diffuse in to
opposite region (as minority carriers) and recombine with hole
in p-type region. And Vice versa.

P-type n-type
In the region of recombination, they leave few un-
compensated minority carrier (negatively charge accepter ions
in p-type and vice versa in n-type)

This forms a ‘double layer’ of negative space charges in p-

Space charge region type and positive space charge in n-type near the junction
(immobile charge regions)
- +
- + This double layer depletes the mobile charges, hence called
- + „Depletion region‟. This double layer region builds/induces a
P-type n-type local electric field, „built-in-field‟. Hence form a built-in-
- +
potential which act like a barrier for the diffusion of charges to
- + opposite regions, also known as „built-in-voltage‟.
- +
This process stops when the pn-junction reaches thermal
equilibrium or stead state.
 Abrupt - pn-junction – Band Theory
N-region P-region
Ef is constant at
(a) Ef
equilibrium
Ec
Ec and Ev are known
Ec Ef
(b) Ev
relative to Ef
Ev
Ec
Ef
Ec and Ev are smooth,
(c) the exact shape to be
Ev
determined.

Neutral Depletion Neutral

N-region layer P-region
A depletion layer
Ec
exists at the PN
(d) Ef junction where n  0
Ev and p  0.

After: Modern Semiconductor Devices for Integrated Circuits (C. Hu)

 Built-in Potential
The potential difference
P-type n-type between two materials at
thermal equilibrium is called
„Built-in potential‟.
e This can be calculated.
qψp
e

kT  N C N A NC 
bi  p  n   ln  ln 

q  ni
2
N D 

Potential distribution
 Built-in Potential

N-region: electron > Majority Carrier

 q n kT kT N C
nno  N D  N C e  n  ln
q ND
P-region: electron > Minority Carrier
2
ni  q kT N C N A
n po   NC e p  p 
kT
ln 2
NA q ni

kT  N C N A NC  kT N D N A
bi  p  n   ln  ln  bi  ln

q  ni
2
N D  q ni
2
 Since at equilibrium nno pno  p po n po  ni2

kT N D N A kT nno kT p po
bi  ln 2
 ln  ln
q ni q n po q pno
This gives the relationship between carrier densities on either side of the junction.

Using this expression, we can calculate ‘Built-in Field’ and ‘Depletion region Width‟:
 Width of Depletion Layer
To simplify the analysis, the depletion
approximation is used which assumes that
the depleted charge has a box profile. Since
in thermal equilibrium the electric field in
the neutral regions (far from the junction at
either side) of the semiconductor must be
zero, the total negative charge per unit
area in the p-side must be precisely equal
to the total positive charge per unit area in
the n-side:

The Total Width:

 Field in the Depletion Layer
Poisson equation:

From the Poisson equation we obtain

Inside the depletion region, n(x) = p(x) = 0,

The electric field is then obtained by integrating the above equations,

where is the maximum field that exists at x = 0

and is given by

Which can yield potential distribution:

With these, the potentials across different regions can be found as:

Ψn is relative to the n-type bulk and is

thus negative.
We know

Substituting the express for maximum electric field at x=0,