Semiconductor Devices

EE 305
 Chapter 4
The Semiconductor in Equilibrium
 Outline
The main topics of this chapter is to find (under equilibrium, applied voltage is zero):

1. The number of free electrons at any energy level, n(E), in the conduction band

2. The number of holes at any energy level, p(E), in the valence band

3. Total number of free electrons in the conduction band (n) and the total number of holes in the valence band (p)

in two different cases:

a. Intrinsic semiconductor

b. Extrinsic semiconductor

Slide 1
 To simplify and make it brief and easy for you:

1. Chapter 3:

a. Draw energy of semiconductor:

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝐸𝐶
𝐸𝑔
𝐸𝐹𝑖

𝐸𝑉
𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑
Slide 2
 Chapter 3
b. Density of states:

- If the level is located in conduction band 

∗ × 2𝑚∗ (𝐸−𝐸 )
𝑚𝑛 1
𝑛 𝐶
Calculate 𝑔𝐶 𝐸 = unit:
2 ħ3 𝐽.𝑚3

- If the level is located in valence band 

∗ × 2𝑚∗ (𝐸 −𝐸)
𝑚𝑝 𝑝 𝑉 1
Calculate 𝑔𝑉 𝐸 = unit:
2 ħ3 𝐽.𝑚3
Slide 3
 Chapter 3
c. Intrinsic and Extrinsic:

- If 𝑛 = 𝑝 ; it is intrinsic

- If 𝑛 ≠ 𝑝 ; it is Extrinsic

ND: Number of Donor Atoms

NA: Number of Acceptor Atoms

ND>NA ND<NA ND=NA

n-type semiconductor p-type semiconductor intrinsic semiconductor
Slide 4
 Chapter 3
d. Fermi Function: Probability -- unitless (Has no unit)

- If it is required to find probability of filled states, probability of having electrons, probability

1
of occupied states; we should calculate 𝑓 𝐸 = 𝐸−𝐸𝑓
1+exp( )
𝑘𝑇

- If it is required to find probability of empty states, probability of not having electrons,

1
probability of having holes; we should calculate 1−𝑓 𝐸 =1− 𝐸−𝐸𝑓
1+exp( 𝑘𝑇 )
Slide 5
 Chapter 4
a. Number of free electrons at Energy Level E in conduction band; n(E):

1
𝑛 𝐸 = 𝑔𝑐 (𝐸) × 𝑓 𝐸 unit:
𝐽.𝑚3

b. Total number of electrons in conduction band:

3
∗ − 𝐸𝐶 −𝐸𝐹 − 𝐸𝐶 −𝐸𝐹
𝑚𝑛 𝑘𝑇 2 1 −6 1
𝑛𝑜 = 2 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 = 𝑁𝐶 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 unit: × 10 =
2𝜋ħ2 𝑚3 𝑐𝑚3

3
∗
𝑚𝑛 𝑘𝑇 2
Where: 𝑁𝐶 = 2 2𝜋ħ2
; effective density of states in Conduction band

Slide 6
 Chapter 4
c. Number of Holes at Energy Level E in Valence band; p(E):

1
𝑝 𝐸 = 𝑔𝑣 (𝐸) × 1 − 𝑓 𝐸 unit:
𝐽.𝑚3

d. Total number of Holes in valence band:

3
∗ 𝑘𝑇
𝑚𝑝 − 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝑣 − 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝑣
2 1 1
𝑝𝑜 = 2 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 = 𝑁𝑉 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 unit: × 10−6 =
2𝜋ħ2 𝑚3 𝑐𝑚3

3
∗
𝑚𝑝 𝑘𝑇 2
Where: 𝑁𝑉 = 2 2𝜋ħ2
; effective density of states in Valence band

Slide 7
 Chapter 4
e. Intrinsic Semiconductor:

1- we do not have donors and acceptors  NA=0 and ND=0

2- we have donors and acceptors but they are equal  NA=ND

𝑛0 = 𝑝0 = 𝑛𝑖

𝑛𝑖2 = 𝑛0 × 𝑝0

1 −6 1
𝑛𝑖 unit: × 10 =
𝑚3 𝑐𝑚3

Slide 8
 Find ni using the graph
Chapter 4

Slide 9
 Chapter 4
f. Extrinsic Semiconductor: If 𝑛 ≠ 𝑝

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝐸𝐶
𝐸𝑔
𝐸𝐹𝑖

𝐸𝑉
𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑
Slide
10
 Chapter 4
f. Extrinsic Semiconductor: If 𝑛 ≠ 𝑝 𝑛𝑖2 𝑛𝑖2
𝑛𝑜 × 𝑝0 = 𝑛𝑖2  𝑛0 =  𝑝0 =
𝑝0 𝑛0

− 𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝑣 − 𝐸𝐶 −𝐸𝐹
𝑝𝑜 = 𝑁𝑉 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 𝑛𝑜 = 𝑁𝐶 𝑒 𝐾𝑇

𝑝 𝑛
𝐸𝐹 = 𝐸𝑖 − 𝐾𝑇𝑙𝑛 𝐸𝐹 = 𝐸𝑖 + 𝐾𝑇𝑙𝑛
𝑛𝑖 𝑛𝑖
𝑝0 − 𝑛0 + 𝑁𝑑 − 𝑁𝑎 = 0

𝑁𝐴 −𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴 −𝑁𝐷 2 𝑁𝐷 −𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷 −𝑁𝐴 2

𝑝0 = + + 𝑛𝑖2 𝑛0 = + + 𝑛𝑖2
2 2 2 2

𝐼𝑓 𝑁𝐴 ≫ 𝑁𝐷 : 𝐼𝑓 𝑁𝐷 ≫ 𝑁𝐴 :
𝑝0 = 𝑁𝐴 𝑛0 = 𝑁𝐷
Slide
11
 Example 1
Consider an intrinsic silicon semiconductor at room temperature with the energy band diagram shown below. The
energy level 𝐸1 is located at energy 𝑘𝑇 above the lowest energy in the conduction band.

a. Calculate the density of state at energy level 𝐸1 .

b. Calculate the probability that a state with energy, 𝐸 = 𝐸1, is occupied.
c. Calculate the number of electron at energy level 𝐸1 .

EFi

Solution: a.

Slide
12
 Example 1
Solution: b.
Probability that a state with energy, 𝐸 = 𝐸1 , is occupied 𝑓(𝐸)

1
𝐸 = 𝐸1 𝑓 𝐸1 = 𝐸1 −𝐸𝑓 EFi
1+exp( )
𝑘𝑇

At room temperature, for silicon, 𝐸𝑔 = 1.1 𝑒𝑉

For intrinsic semiconductor, the Fermi level is located in the middle of the gap.
𝐸𝑔
 𝐸𝑓 is located below 𝐸𝑐 by 2 = 0.55 𝑒𝑉

𝐸1 − 𝐸𝑓 = 0.0258 + 0.55 = 0.5758 𝑒𝑉

Slide
13
𝑓 𝐸1 = 2 × 10−10
 Example 1

Solution: c. number of electron at energy level 𝐸1

1
𝑛 𝐸1 = 𝑔𝑐 𝐸1 × 𝑓 𝐸1 = 1.65 × 1036
𝐽. 𝑚3
1
If we need to convert the unit to
𝑒𝑉.𝑐𝑚3

1 1
 𝑛 𝐸1 = 1.65 × 1036 × 1.6 × 10−19 × 10−6 = 2.65 × 1011
𝐽.𝑚3 𝑒𝑉.𝑐𝑚3

Slide
14
 Example 2
 So let's look at an example to calculate the concentration of intrinsic Silicon at room
Conduction band
𝐸𝐶
temperature (𝑇 = 300 𝐾).
𝐸𝑔

 the Fermi level is at the middle of the gap 𝐸𝑉

Valence band

 For Silicon, we can calculate 𝑁𝑐 (value of constant given in the formula sheet):
3 3
∗
𝑚𝑛 𝑘𝑇 2 1.18 × 9.1 × 10−311.38 × 10−23 × 300 2
𝑁𝑐 = 2 =2 = 3.24 × 1025 m−3 = 3.24 × 1019 cm−3
2𝜋ħ2 2𝜋 1.055 × 10−34 2

 For Silicon, we can calculate 𝑁𝑣 (value of constant given in the formula sheet):
3/2 3/2
𝑚𝑝∗ 𝑘𝑇 (0.8 × 9.1 × 10−31 )(1.38 × 10−23 × 300)
𝑁𝑣 = 2 =2 = 1.81 × 1025 m−3 = 1.81 × 1019 cm−3
2𝜋ħ2 2𝜋 1.055 × 10−34 2
Slide
15
 Example 2

 To find the intrinsic concentration, we will use the formula below:

− 𝑬𝒄 −𝑬𝑽 −𝑬𝒈 −𝑬𝒈

𝒏𝒊 = 𝑵𝒄 𝑵𝒗 𝐞𝐱𝐩 = 𝑵𝒄 𝑵𝒗 𝐞𝐱𝐩 = 𝑵𝒄 𝑵𝒗 𝐞𝐱𝐩 = 1.34 × 1010 cm−3
𝒌𝑻 𝒌𝑻 2𝒌𝑻

Slide
16
 Example 3

 So let's look at an example to find extrinsic carrier concentration for Silicon at

room temperature (𝑇 = 300 𝐾).

 Let's say that the Fermi level is 0.2 eV below the bottom of the conduction band:
𝐸𝑐 − 𝐸𝐹 = 0.2 𝑒𝑉

 If we put in numbers using the below expression, we can find the electron
concentration:

3
∗
𝑚𝑛 𝑘𝑇 2 −0.2 eV
𝑁𝐶 = 2 = 3.24 × 1019 cm−3  𝒏𝟎 = 3.24 × 1019 exp = 1.41 × 1016 cm−3
2𝜋ħ2 0.026 eV

Slide
17
 Example 3

 If we put in numbers using the below expression, we can find the hole concentration.

3
∗
𝑚𝑝 𝑘𝑇 2
𝑁𝑉 = 2 = 1.81 × 1019 cm−3
2𝜋ħ2

 Considering that 𝐸𝑔 = 1.1 eV, we can calculate 𝐸𝐹 − 𝐸𝑉 = 1.1 − 0.2 = 0.9 eV

 The hole concentration is then calculated:

−𝟎. 𝟗 𝐞𝐕
Slide 𝒑𝟎 = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟏 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟗 𝐞𝐱𝐩 = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎𝟒 𝐜𝐦−𝟑
18 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐞𝐕
 Example 4

Solution:
a) NA=0, no acceptors added to the semiconductor, only donors.
o The semiconductor is n-type. So the number of electrons will be more than the number of holes. Both
electrons and holes exist in the semiconductor.
o In this case, Electrons are called majority carriers. Holes are called minority carriers.

Slide
19
 Example 4

Solution:
b) Donors ND are more than acceptor NA.
• The semiconductor is also n-type.
• So the number of electrons will be more than the number of holes.
• Electrons are majority carriers
• 𝑛~𝑁𝐷 − 𝑁𝐴 = 5 × 1015 − 2 × 1015 = 3 × 1015 cm−3

Slide
20