Semiconductor Device Physics

Lecture 5

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul

President University

http://zitompul.wordpress.com

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 Semiconductor Device Physics

Chapter 5
pn Junction Electrostatics

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Metallurgical Junction
 Doping profile

Step junction
idealization

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Poisson’s Equation
 Poisson’s equation is a well-known relationship in electricity
and magnetism.
 It is now used because it often contains the starting point in
obtaining quantitative solutions for the electrostatic variables.
   D  v
E 
KS 0 D  E
  KS 0

 In one-dimensional problems, Poisson’s equation simplifies to:

E 

x KS 0

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Equilibrium Energy Band Diagram

 pn-Junction diode

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Qualitative Electrostatics
 Equilibrium condition

Band diagram

1
V   ( Ec  Eref )
q

Electrostatic potential

V ( x)    Edx

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Qualitative Electrostatics
 Equilibrium condition

Electric field
dV
E
dx

E( x)   x
KS 0

Charge density

E 

x KS 0
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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Formation of pn Junction and Charge Distribution

  q( p  n  N D  N A ) qNA– qND+

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Formation of pn Junction and Charge Distribution

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Built-In Potential Vbi

• Vbi for several materials:

Ge ≤ 0.66 V
Si ≤ 1.12 V
GeAs ≤ 1.42 V
qVbi  ( Ei  EF ) p side  ( EF  Ei )n side

 For non-degenerately doped material,

 p  NA 
( Ei  EF ) p-side  kT ln    kT ln  
n
 i n
 i   NA ND 
qVbi  kT ln  2 
n   ND   ni 
( EF  Ei )n-side  kT ln    kT ln  
 ni   ni 

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

The Depletion Approximation

 On the p-side, ρ = –qNA
dE qN A

dx S
qN A
E( x)   x  c1
S
qN A
E( x)   ( x  xp )
S
with boundary E(–xp) = 0

 On the n-side, ρ = qND

qN D
E( x)   ( xn  x)
S
with boundary E(xn) = 0

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Step Junction with VA = 0

 Solution for ρ
qN A ,  xp  x  0

   qN D , 0  x  xn
 0, otherwise
 Solution for E
 qN A
  ( xp  x),  xp  x  0
E( x)   S
qN
 D ( xn  x), 0  x  xn
  S
 Solution for V
 qN A 2
 2 ( xp  x ) ,  xp  x  0
V ( x)   S
qN
Vbi  D ( xn  x) 2 , 0  x  xn
 2 S
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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Relation between ρ(x), E(x), and V(x)

1.Find the profile of the built-in potential Vbi
2.Use the depletion approximation  ρ(x)
 With depletion-layer widths xp, xn unknown
3.Integrate ρ(x) to find E(x)
 Boundary conditions E(–xp) = 0, E(xn)=0
4.Integrate E(x) to obtain V(x)
 Boundary conditions V(–xp) = 0, V(xn) = Vbi
5.For E(x) to be continuous at x = 0, NAxp = NDxn
 Solve for xp, xn

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Step Junction with VA=0

 At x = 0, expressions for p-side and n-side for the solutions of
E and V must be equal:

N A xp  N D xn

qN A 2 qN D 2
( xp )  Vbi  ( xn )
2 S 2 S

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Depletion Layer Width

2 S NA
 Eliminating xp, xn  Vbi
q ND (NA  ND )

 Eliminating xn, 2 S ND ND
xp  Vbi  xn
q NA ( NA  ND ) NA

2 S  1 1 
 Summing xn  xp  W     Vbi
q  NA ND 

Exact solution,
try to derive
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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

One-Sided Junctions
 If NA >> ND as in a p+n junction,
2 S Vbi ND
W  xn  , xp  xn 0
q ND NA

 If ND >> NA as in a n+p junction,

2 S Vbi NA
W  xp  , xn  xp 0
q NA ND
 Simplifying,
2 S Vbi
W
q N
where N denotes the lighter dopant density

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Example: Depletion Layer Width

 A p+n junction has NA = 1020 cm–3 and ND = 1017cm–3, at 300 K.

a) What isVbi?
kT  N D N A   1017 1020 
Vbi  ln  2   25.86 mV  ln  10 2 
 1.012 V
q  ni   (10 ) 

b) What is W?
1/ 2
2 SVbi  2 11.8  8.854 1014 1.012 
W    0.115  m
qN D 
19
1.602 10 10 17


c) What is xn?
xn  W  0.115  m

d) What is xp?
N
xp  xn D  0.115 m  103  1.15 Å
NA
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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Step Junction with VA  0

• To ensure low-level injection conditions,

reasonable current levels must be
maintained  VA should be small

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Step Junction with VA  0

 In the quasineutral, regions extending from the contacts to the

edges of the depletion region, minority carrier diffusion
equations can be applied since E ≈ 0.
 In the depletion region, the continuity equations are applied.

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Step Junction with VA  0

 Built-in potential Vbi (non-degenerate doping):
kT  N A  kT  N D  kT  N A N D 
Vbi  ln   ln   ln  2 
q  ni  q  ni  q  ni 

 Depletion width W :
2 S  1 1 
W  xp  xn     Vbi  VA 
q  NA ND 

2 S ND 2 S NA
xp  Vbi  VA , xn  Vbi  VA 
q NA  NA  ND  q ND  NA  ND 

ND NA
xp  W , xn  W
N A  ND N A  ND

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Effect of Bias on Electrostatics

• If voltage drop â, then depletion width â

• If voltage drop á, then depletion width á
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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Linearly-Graded Junction

1
E    dx V    Edx
S

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 Chapter 5 pn Junction Electrostatics

Homework 5
 1. (6.4)
Consider a silicon pn junction at T = 300 K with a p-side doping
concentration of NA = 1018 cm–3. Determine the n-side doping concentration
such that the maximum electric field is |Emax| = 3×105 V/cm at a reverse bias
voltage of (i) VR = 25 V; (ii) VR = 5 V.

 2. (7.6)
Problem 5.4
Pierret’s “Semiconductor Device Fundamentals”.
Change ND from 1015 /cm3 to 3×1015 /cm3.

 Deadline: Monday, 17 October 2016.

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