Electronics

Bluest Lan, PhD

16.03.2023

Materials

• Solid-state materials: conductor, semiconductor, insulator

• Conductivity: conductor > semiconductor > insulator

• Resistivity: conductor < semiconductor < insulator

Resistivity

L Length
R=ρ
A

Cross-sectional area

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Semiconductor

Intrinsic semiconductor (single-element semiconductor):

• A material that behaves as an insulator at absolute zero temperature (0 Kelvin)

and becomes a semiconductor at higher temperatures

• Group IV element in the periodic table, such as silicon (S) and germanium (Ge)

Extrinsic semiconductor (compound semiconductor):

• A material that has been intentionally doped with impurities to increase its
electrical conductivity

• Elements from groups III and V or groups II and VI

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Intrinsic Semiconductor

T↑

n = p = ni
np = ni2

n: Concentration of free electrons

p: Concentration of holes

ni: number of free electrons and holes in a unit volume (cm3) of intrinsic silicon at a given temperature

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Intrinsic Carrier Concentration

• From semiconductor physics: ni = BT 3/2e −Eg/2kT

• B is a material-dependent parameter that is 7.3 × 1015 cm−3 K−3/2 for silicon

• T is the temperature in K

• Eg is a material parameter known as the bandgap energy (minimum energy

required to break a covalent bond) that is 1.12 electron volt (eV) for silicon

• k is Boltzmann’s constant (8.62 × 10−5 eV/K)

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Doped Semiconductors

pn = ni2

n type

ND NA
p ≈ NA ≫ ni
n ≈ ND ≫ ni
p type

ni2 ni2
p≈ n≈
ND NA

Lecture 05: Physical Operation of Diodes: The pn Junctions 6

Drift Current

μp: Hole mobility

Drift velocity vp−drift = μpE μn: Electron mobility
vn−drift = − μnE + q: Magnitude of electron charge
-

Current density
Ip + -
Jp = = qpvp−drift
A
I L
Jn = n = − qnvn−drift R=ρ
A A
1
J = Jp + Jn = q(pμp + nμn)E → J = E/ρ ρ=
q(pμp + nμn)

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Physical Structure

+ -

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 The pn Junction

Di usion current
Drift current

- + + -

Barrier voltage

Reverse bias Forward bias

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Zender Diode

rz ≈ 20 Ω

VZ = VZ0 + IZrz

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ff
References

• Sedra, Smith, Microelectronic Circuits 8e. Oxford University Press.

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