Solid-state Semiconductor Physics

Transient and AC conditions in Junctions

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema

University of Nairobi

May 2015

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 1 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Excess carrier distributions in a pn-junction under bias conditions

must change when the bias current changes
Finite non-zero time is required to build up or deplete the stored
charge, hence charge lags the current - a capacitive e¤ect

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 2 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Consider a p+ -n junction in which the current is predominantly a hole

current
We then have the time-dependent continuity equation

∂ 1 ∂ ∆pn (xn , t )
∆pn (xn , t ) Jp (xn , t ) =0
∂t q ∂xn τp
or
1 ∂ ∂ ∆pn (xn , t )
Jp (xn , t ) = ∆pn (xn , t ) +
q ∂xn ∂t τp
The instantaneous current density is hence
Zxn
∆pn (xn , t ) ∂
Jp (0, t ) Jp (xn , t ) = q + ∆pn (xn , t ) dxn
τp ∂t
0

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 3 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

For a long n-region with Na >> Nd , the current density at xn = 0, i.e.

the n-side edge of the space-charge region is essentially a hole current
The injected hole current is then
Z∞ Z∞
q ∂
Jp (0, t ) = ∆pn (xn , t ) dxn + q ∆pn (xn , t ) dxn
τp ∂t
0 0

or
Qp (t ) d
Jp (0, t ) = + Qp (t )
τp dt

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 4 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

We note that the diode current is due to

A recombination term, Qp (t ) /τ p
A charge build up or depletion term, dQp (t ) /dt
This expression represents the charge control model of the pn-junction

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 5 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

If the diode carries a steady current of amplitude Jm which is

switched o¤ at t = 0, we can write
Qp (0) d
Jm = + Qp (t ) jt =0
τp dt

and
Qp ( 0 ) = Jm τ p
The excess charge evolution with time is then

Qp ( t ) d t
0 = + Qp (t ) ) Qp (t ) = Q (0) exp
τp dt τp
t
= Jm τ p exp
τp

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 6 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Since the injected hole current is proportional to the concentration

gradient at xn = 0, Qp (t ) becomes less exponential as it decays
We can however assume a quasi-static (quasi-steady-state) condition
where the stored excess charge is assumed to decay exponentially

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 7 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Thus, if
xn
∆pn (xn , t ) = ∆pn (0, t ) exp
Lp
then
Z∞
xn
Qp (t ) = q ∆pn (0, t ) exp dxn = qLp ∆pn (0, t )
Lp
0

And with
n q o Qp (t )
∆pn (0, t ) = pn0 exp v (t ) 1 =
kT qLp

we have
kT Jm τ p t
v (t ) = ln 1 + exp
q qLp pn0 τp

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 8 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

The voltage across the junction cannot change instantaneous,

therefore
Most applications require the diode to be switched on and o¤ many
times
The reverse current will hence be larger during the time required for
the readjustment of the stored excess charge distribution

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 9 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Consider a p+ -n diode in series with a resistor R

Let the circuit be driven by a rectangular waveform of amplitude Vm
If Vm >> V0 , Vm appears entirely across R

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 10 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Hence, the current through the resistor is given by

Vm
if (t ) = If =
R
in the steady-state
When the input voltage turns negative, the current should reverse to
Vm
i r ( t ) = Ir =
R

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 11 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Since the stored excess charge cannot change instantaneously, the

diode voltage will remain at the low forward bias value
The slope of the excess hole concentration at xn = 0 must therefore
be positive
Stored charge is depleted from the vicinity of the space-charge region
and the junction voltage obtained from
n q o
∆pn (t ) = pn0 exp v (t ) 1
kT

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 12 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

As long as ∆pn (t ) > 0, v (t ) will be positive also and low and ir (t )

remains at Vm /R until ∆pn (t ) decays to zero
The time τ d required for the stored charge to decay to zero is then
the storage decay or reverse recovery time and is usually, τ n or τ p

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 13 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Consider a p+ -n diode biased at a current Jf which is then reversed

to Jr at t = 0
We have
Qp (t ) d
j (t ) = + Qp (t ) , t < 0, Qp = τ p Jf
τp dt

We can write this in exact di¤erential form

d
Qp (t ) + P (t ) Qp (t ) = j (t )
dt
where P (t ) = 1/τ p in this case (Sturm-Liouville problem)

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 14 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Let v (t ) be an integrating factor

Then
d
v (t ) Qp (t ) + v (t ) P (t ) Qp (t ) = v (t ) j (t )
dt
or
v (t ) dQp (t ) + fv (t ) P (t ) Qp (t ) v (t ) j (t )g dt = 0
This can be seen to be of the form

NdQp (t ) + Mdt = 0

where
N = v (t ) , M = v (t ) fP (t ) Qp (t ) j (t )g

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 15 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

For an exact equation, we must have

∂M ∂N
=
∂Qp (t ) ∂t

We have
∂M
= P (t ) v (t )
∂Qp (t )
since v (t ), j (t ) and P (t ) are not functions of Qp (t )
Thus
Z
dv (t ) t
P (t ) dt = ) v (t ) = exp P (t ) dt = exp
v (t ) τp

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 16 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

Hence
t d Qp (t ) t t
exp Qp ( t ) + exp = j (t ) exp
τp dt τp τp τp
or
t d t
j (t ) exp = Qp (t ) exp
τp dt τp
And Z
t t
Qp (t ) = exp j (t ) exp dt + C
τp τp
or
Z
t t
Qp (t ) = exp τ p Jr exp dt + C , t>0
τp τp

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 17 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

For t < 0, j (t ) = Jf and Qp (t ) = τ p Jf

For t > 0, j (t ) = Jr and Qp (t ) = C exp ( t/τ p ) τ p Jf , hence

C = τ p Jr + τ p Jf

and
t
Qp (t ) = τ p Jr + fτ p Jr + τ p Jf g exp
τp
or
t t
Qp (t ) = τ p Jf exp + τ p Jr exp 1
τp τp

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 18 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

With
Qp (t ) = qLp ∆pn (t )
we have
τp t
∆pn (t ) = (τ p Jr + τ p Jf ) exp Jr
qLp τp

and
Jr Jf
∆pn (τ d ) = 0 ) τ d = τ p ln = τ p ln 1 +
Jr + Jf Jr

Hence the excess minority charge depends on the ratio of the forward
to reverse current
This has important implications on switching circuits

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 19 / 20

Transient and AC conditions in junctions

The reverse recovery transients in diode circuits are illustrated below

If

v(t)

V
Is

-Ir
-Vm
i(t)

Reverse recovery transients in diode circuits

Dr.-Ing. Wilfred Mwema (UoN) Transient and AC conditions in Junctions 05/12 20 / 20