Simple model of Photoconductor
Reference http://www.physics-assignment.com/photoconductivity
➢ When light radiation falls on the crystal, electrical conductivity of the insulating crystal
increases. This phenomenon is called photoconductivity.
➢ When the energy of incident photon, is greater than the energy gap Eg, free electron-hole
pairs are produced in the crystal by the absorption of the incident photons and these
electrons and holes serves as the carriers of electrical current.
➢ Impurities and imperfections in the crystal also contribute towards photoconductivity. If
these are present in the crystal, then even the photons having energy below the threshold
for the production of electron-hole pairs may be able to produce mobile electrons or
holes.
Imperfections and impurities introduce discrete energy levels in the forbidden energy
levels in the forbidden energy gap called traps.
✓ Variation of photoconductivity (Simple model of Photoconductor)
To study the variation of photoconductivity with illumination, consider a simple model of
photoconductor.
Assumptions:
➢ When light radiations falls on the crystal, electron-hole pairs are produced uniformly
throughout the crystal volume.
➢ In the recombination process, electrons directly recombine with holes.
➢ Mobility of holes is smaller than the mobility of electrons and therefore mobility of holes
can be neglected.
Using these assumptions, rate of change of electron concentration can be written as
Photon + Conductivity
Insulating Material
Energy Gap Eg≥ 6 ev C.B
L After 10-8 sec Recombination
d
V.B
➢ Light intensity L which is greater than 6 ev.
➢ In this whole process electron and hole pairs are to be produced
➢ After certain time electron jumps from C.B to the V.B and electron hole recombination
takes place
➢ Conductivity is to be study only due to the mobility of the electron. So in that case
mobility of holes are negligible.
Simple model of Photoconductor
Reference http://www.physics-assignment.com/photoconductivity
✓ Then we have to find the production rate of the electron in conduction band at a time
✓ If the production rate of electron at conduction band is constant then the process is at steady
state, if not constant then no steady state is available
µA
Fig-1: Experimental Setup
✓ Say 100 of photon from V.B takes 100 of electron to the C.B
✓ Then from there after 10-8 sec 50 of electrons attends in recombination process, then production
rate of electron is 100-50=50
✓ Production rate of electron with time
❖ L is Total photon applied
❖ One recombination ----- One electron ne , One hole nh
Two electron 2ne , Two hole 2nh
If A is a constant then Anenh
❖ Now Production rate of electron with time A is the
recombination
𝑑𝑛
= 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛𝑒 𝑛ℎ Constant
𝑑𝑡
Suppose ne= nh=n (n=Number of electron)
Then
𝑑𝑛
= 𝐿 − 𝐴. 𝑛. 𝑛= 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛2
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑛
= 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛2 ---------------------- (1)
𝑑𝑡
❖ If the experiment is in steady state then
At time t1------------- n1=50 (say)
t2------------- n2=50 (say)
𝑑(𝑛2 −𝑛1 ) 𝑑(50−50) 𝑑0
= = 𝑑𝑡 = 0---------------------- (2)
𝑑(𝑡2 −𝑡1 ) 𝑑(𝑡2 −𝑡1 )
Simple model of Photoconductor
Reference http://www.physics-assignment.com/photoconductivity
❖ At steady state the production rate of the electron at C.B.=0
& the number of the electron = n0 [it’s a constant of steady state]
Then from 1 and 2 0= 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛02
𝑛0 =√𝐿⁄𝐴
❖ Then we have to study conduction of that insulating material due to this 𝑛0 electron at
that C.B.
❖ Conduction in case of a conductor
Conductivity= 𝜎
𝜎 = 𝑛𝑒𝜇-------------------------------------- (3)
𝜇 = 𝑀𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛
e = Unit charge of electron
𝑛 = 𝑛0 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟, 𝑠𝑜 𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑛0
Then from 3 we get
𝜎 = 𝑛𝑒𝜇 = 𝑛0 𝑒𝜇
𝐿
𝜎 = √𝐴 𝑒𝜇-------------------------------------- (4)
This is the conductivity of insulating material due to 𝑛0 electron at C.B.
➢ Then current Density
𝐽∝𝐸 Current density J is directly proportional to applied electrostatic field according to Ohm’s law
𝐽 = 𝜎𝐸 𝜎 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙
Adding the value of 𝜎 from equation (4)
𝐿
𝐽 = √ 𝑒𝜇𝐸
𝐴
𝐿 𝑣
𝐽 = [√ 𝑒𝜇] Thickness of that material is d hence E=v/d
𝐴 𝑑
➢ It’s constant because at steady state all the values are constant
➢ Now the experiment is suddenly turned to be off----- to find the decay of the current
Simple model of Photoconductor
Reference http://www.physics-assignment.com/photoconductivity
𝐿 𝑣 𝑑𝑛
𝐽 = [√𝐴 𝑒𝜇] 𝑑 , 𝑛0 =√𝐿⁄𝐴 , = 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛2
𝑑𝑡
➢ Decay of Current
➢ Light is to be suddenly turned off i.e. L=0
𝑑𝑛
= 𝐿 − 𝐴𝑛2
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑛
= 0 − 𝐴𝑛2
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑛
= −𝐴𝑑𝑡
𝑛2
Now integrate this for total decay
𝑑𝑛
∫ = − 𝐴 ∫ 𝑑𝑡
𝑛2
1
− 𝑛 = −𝐴𝑡 + 𝐶 [𝐶 = 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛]--------------------- (6)
❖ Now L= 0, So time t = 0 and n = n0
Then from equation 6 we get
1
−𝑛 = 𝐶
0
❖ Now putting the value of C in equation (6) we get
1 1
− = −𝐴𝑡 −
𝑛 𝑛0
1 1 𝐴𝑛0 𝑡+1
= 𝐴𝑡 + 𝑛 =
𝑛 0 𝑛0
𝑛0
𝑛 = 𝐴𝑛 --------------------------------------------------------- (7)
0 𝑡+1
❖ From fig-1, in which condition micro ammeter (𝜇𝐴) current will be zero ‘0’???
1
❖ Response time is that time when electron at the conduction band (C.B.) decay 2 of its
steady state
𝑛0
i.e. 𝑛 = & 𝑡 = 𝑡0 then from equation (7) we get
2
𝑛0 𝑛0
=
2 𝐴𝑛0 𝑡 + 1
Simple model of Photoconductor
Reference http://www.physics-assignment.com/photoconductivity
2 = 𝐴𝑛0 𝑡0 + 1
𝐴𝑛0 𝑡0 = 1
1 1 1
𝑡0 = = =
𝐴𝑛0 √𝐿𝐴
𝐴√𝐿⁄𝐴
1 Response time of that experiment.
𝑡0 =
√𝐿𝐴
