ECE-305: Spring 2016

Intgroduction to

PN Junctions I:
Professor Mark Lundstrom
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
lundstro@purdue.edu

Pierret, Semiconductor Device Fundamentals (SDF)

pp. 195-209
Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
2/16/16
 announcements

If you are planning to attend graduate or professional

school, you will need 3 faculty references. I only give
references to people who have:

1)  Visited me during my office hours at least twice.

It would also be very helpful for you all to:

2) e-mail me a photo of yourself.

2
Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 ECE 305: Spring 2016: Exam 2

10
9
Out of 75 points:
8
7 N: 22
6 Mean: 74.8% (56.1/75)
C ount

5
4
SD: 17.5%
3 Min: 26.7%
2
Max: 96%
1
0
Median: 80.7% (60.5/75)
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

E X A M  2  P erc en t  %

Lundstrom ECE-305 S15 3

 How to succeed in ECE 305

1)  Do the assigned reading before class.

2)  Listen to lecture, ask questions.

3)  Review the lecture notes and reading

afterwards.

4)  Work the HW problems, then look at

solutions.

5)  Ask questions.

https://www.edx.org
Lundstrom ECE-305 S15 4
 NP junction (equilibrium)

N P

n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 ρ!0

Lundstrom ECE 305 S16 5

 “the semiconductor equations”
!
∂p ⎛ Jp ⎞
= −∇i ⎜ ⎟ + G p − Rp Three equations in three
∂t ⎝ q⎠
unknowns:
!
∂n ⎛J ⎞
= −∇i ⎜ n ⎟ + Gn − Rn ! ! !
∂t ⎝ −q ⎠ p (r ), n(r ), V (r )

!
( )
0 = −∇i ε E + ρ equilibrium

(
ρ = q p − n + N D+ − N A− )
! ! !
E ( r ) = ∇V ( r )

Lundstrom ECE 305 S16 6

 NP junction

N ρ>0 ρ<0 P
N D+ N A−
E
VL > VR
n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 - ρ!0

−xn 0 xp
transition region

Find: electric field, electrostatic potential, n(x), p(x), rho(x)

7 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 energy band approach

EC EC
EF
V = Vbi Ei qVbi Ei V =0
EF
EV EV

1) Fermi-level must be constant in equilibrium.

2) Positive electrostatic potentials lower the electron energy

3)  Left side must develop a positive potential, Vbi.

8
Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 eq. energy band diagram

EF EF

1) Begin with EF
2) Draw the E-bands where you know the carrier density
3) Electrostatic potential by flipping E-band upside down.
4) E-field from slope
5) n(x), p(x) from the E-band diagram
6) rho(x) from n(x) and p(x)
7) diffusion current from (5) or from (6)

EC ( x ) = EC − ref − qV ( x )

1
E ( x ) = dEC ( x ) dx
q
9
Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 energy band diagram

EC
EF

Ei

EV

x
x = −xn x=0 x = xp
10
Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 “read” the e-band diagram

1)  Electrostatic potential vs. position

2)  Electric field vs. position

3)  Electron and hole densities vs. position

4)  Space-charge density vs. position

11 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16

 electrostatics: V(x)

N P
V

Vbi

−xn xp x

12 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16

 NP junction

N ρ>0 ρ<0 P
N D+ N A−
E
VL > VR
n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 - ρ!0

−xn 0 xp
transition region

Find: electric field, electrostatic potential, n(x), p(x), rho(x)

13 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 electrostatics: E (x)

N P
−xn xp x

14 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16

 NP junction

N ρ>0 ρ<0 P
N D+ N A−
E
VL > VR
n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 - ρ!0

−xn 0 xp
transition region

Find: electric field, electrostatic potential, n(x), p(x), rho(x)

15 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 carrier densities vs. x

log10 n ( x ) ,log10 p ( x )

n0 N = N D p0 P = N A

n0 p = ni2 N A
p0 N = ni2 N D

N P
−xn xp x
n0 N << N D p0 P << N A

16 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16

 NP junction

N ρ>0 ρ<0 P
N D+ N A−
E
VL > VR
n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 - ρ!0

−xn 0 xp
transition region

Find: electric field, electrostatic potential, n(x), p(x), rho(x)

17 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 electrostatics: rho(x)

qN D
N P

xp
−xn x
−qN A

18 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16

 NP junction

N ρ>0 ρ<0 P
N D+ N A−
E
VL > VR
n0 ! N D p0 ! N A
ρ!0 - ρ!0

−xn 0 xp
transition region

Find: electric field, electrostatic potential, n(x), p(x), rho(x)

19 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16
 the built-in potential
EC EC
EFN
V = Vbi Ei qVbi Ei V =0
EFP
EV EV

n0 = ni e( EFN −Ei ) kBT p0 = ni e( Ei −EFP ) kBT

n0 p0 = N D N A = ni2 e( EFN −EFP ) kBT = eqVbi kBT

kBT ⎛ N D N A ⎞
Vbi = ln ⎜
q ⎝ ni2 ⎟⎠
20
 NP junction electrostatics

How do we calculate rho(x), E(x), and V(x)?

21 Lundstrom ECE 305 S16