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University of KwaZulu-Natal
School of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering

Examinations: June 2010
Physical Electronics I (ENEL2PAH1)

Duration: 3 hours Total Marks: 100

Examiners: Internal : Dr A.L.L. Jarvis Ext x 2742
External : Dr T. Moyo

General Instructions:
1. Full marks are equal to 100 marks.
2. Your answers should be neat and concise.
3. The use of any calculator is permitted.
4. Data and formulae sheets are provided.


Question 1- Quantum Mechanics 10 Marks

(a) Heisenbergs uncertainty principle can be stated in the following form:
t
> A A
4
h
p x
x
. Explain the principle using the example of incident photon
radiation in order to observe a particle.
(4)
(b) Name and discuss, with the help of a sketch, the experiment that helped
prove the existence of matter waves.
(6)
Question 2 Statistical Mechanics 20 Marks

(a) Consider the energy levels shown below.







Let T = 300 K and E
1
- E
F
= 0.30 eV.

Determine the probability that an energy state at E = E
1
is occupied by an
electron and the probability that an energy state at E = E
2
is empty.
(4)

(b) In a sample of GaAs at T = 200 K, we have experimentally determined that
n
0
= 5 p
0
and that N
a
= 0. Calculate n
0
, p
0
and N
d
.
(6)
(c) Adding donors to a semiconductor will change the distribution of electrons
and holes in the material. By use of a diagram (Fermi-Dirac probability
function and density of states function) show how the distribution changes.
(10)
E
n
e
r
g
y

1.12 eV
E
1
E
F
E
2


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Question 3 Carrier Transport Phenomena 20 Marks

(a)

The above figure shows electron concentration n and conductivity versus
inverse temperature of silicon for the case N
d
= 10
15
cm
-3
. Explain the
behaviour of both curves.
(5)
(b) A silicon sample at room temperature has an electron concentration that varies
linearly with distance from 10
16
cm
-3
to 10
15
cm
-3
over a distance of 0.10 cm.
The cross-sectional area of the sample is 0.05 cm
2
. The electron diffusion
coefficient is 25 cm
2
/s. Calculate the electron diffusion current.
(4)
(c) Consider silicon at T = 300 K. A Hall effect device, with a Hall field of
16.5 mV/cm, is fabricated with the following geometry and electrical
parameters:

d
z
= 5 x 10
3
cm W
y
= 5 x10
2
cm L
x
= 0.50 cm
B
z
= 6.50 x 10
2
T I
x
= 0.50 mA V
x
= 1.25 Volts

(i) Determine the Hall voltage.
(2)
(ii) Determine the conductivity type.
(1)
(iii) Determine the majority carrier concentration.
(1)
(iv) Determine the majority carrier mobility.
(1)
(v) Name two practical uses of the Hall effect.
(2)
(d) What are excess charge carriers and how would one generate them?
(4)


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Question 4 - pn-Junction Diode 40 Marks

(a) (i) Discuss the formation of the space-charge region in a pn-junction diode.
(5)
(ii) Draw an energy-band diagram of the pn junction under reverse bias.
(5)
(iii) Discuss how one can alter the junction capacitance dependence on
reverse-bias voltage.
(3)
(b) Consider a uniformly doped GaAs pn junction at T = 300 K. The junction
capacitance at zero bias is Cj (0) and the junction capacitance with a 10 V
reverse-bias voltage is Cj(10). The ratio of the capacitances is, Cj(0)/ Cj(10) =
3.13. Also under reverse bias, the space charge width into the p region is 0.2 of
the total space charge width. Determine

(i) the built-in potential, V
bi
.
(4)
(ii) doping concentrations N
a
and N
d
.
(4)
(c) Using the following equations as a starting point,

,
) ( (
) (
dx
x n d
eD x J
p
n p n
o
= and
|
|
.
|

\
| +
(

|
.
|

\
|
=
n
p
a
po p
L
x x
kT
eV
n x n exp 1 exp ) ( o

derive the ideal current voltage equation relationship of an ideal diode. The
relationship must include the reverse saturation current.
(5)
(d) (i) Draw a well labeled complete circuit diagram of the small-signal model of
a pn-junction diode.
(5)
(ii) In (i) explain the sources of capacitance.
(4)
(e) Consider a p
+
n silicon diode at T = 300 K. The diode is forward biased at a
current of 1 mA. The hole lifetime in the n-region is 10
-7
sec. Neglecting the
depletion capacitance, calculate the diode impedance at 10 MHz.
(5)
Question 5 Bipolar Transistors 10 Marks

(a) Draw the idealized uniformly doped profile of an npn bipolar transistor.
(3)
(b) Why is the base of a bipolar transistor designed to be smaller in size compared
to the emitter and collector regions?
(2)
(c) Describe the electron flow in an npn bipolar transistor biased in the forward
active mode.
(5)
END


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Data Sheet

Silicon, gallium arsenide, and germanium properties (T = 300 K)
Property Si GaAs Ge

Atoms (cm
-3
) 5.0 x 10
22
4.42x10
22
4.42x10
22

Atomic weight 28.09 144.63 72.60
Crystal structure Diamond Zincblende Diamond
Density (g/cm
-3
) 2.33 5.32 5.33
Lattice constant () 5.43 5.65 5.65
Melting Temperature (
o
C) 1415 1238 937
Dielectric constant 11.7 13.1 16.0
Bandgap energy (eV) 1.12 1.42 0.66
Electron affinity,_, (volts) 4.01 4.07 4.13
Effective density of states
in conduction band, N
c
,
(cm
-3
)
2.8 x 10
19
4.7x10
17
1.04x10
19

Effective density of states
in valence band, N
v
, (cm
-3
)
1.04 x 10
19
7.0x10
18
6.0x10
18

Intrinsic carrier
concentration (cm
-3
)
1.5 x 10
10
1.8x10
6
2.4x10
13

Mobility (cm
2
/V-s)
Electron,
n

Hole,
p


1350
480

8500
400

3900
1900
Effective mass (density
of states)
Electrons (m
n
*
/m
0
)
Holes (m
p
*
/m
0
)


1.08
0.56


0.067
0.48


0.55
0.37



Physical Constants
Avogadros number N
A
= 6.02 x 10
23
atoms per gram molecular
weight
Boltzmanns constant k = 1.38 x 10
-23
J/K
= 8.62 x 10
-5
eV/K
Electronic charge 1.60 x 10
-19
C
Free electron rest mass m
0
= 9.11 x 10
-31
kg
Permeability of free space
0
= 4t x 10
-7
H/m
Permittivity of free space c
0
= 8.85 x 10
-14
F/cm
= 8.85 x 10
-12
F/m
Plancks constant h = 6.625 x 10
-34
J-s
= 4.135 x 10
-15
eV.s
=h/2t=1.054 x 10
-34
J-s
Proton rest mass M = 1.67 x 10
-27
kg
Speed of light in vacuum c = 2.998 x 10
10
cm/s
Thermal voltage (T = 300 K) V
t
= kT/e = 0.0259 volt
kT = 0.0259 eV












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A FEW useful equations
(this is not considered a complete set)


E n e J
drift
=
t
DQ
d
V
I
g =
RA
L
= o

) ( p n e
p n
o + =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
ln
i
d a
bi
n
N N
e
kT
V
2 / 1
2
(

+
=
d a
d a bi s
N N
N N
e
V
W
c



s
z
x eN
E
c
=
max

t
po DQ
d
V
I
C
2
t
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
0
) 0 (
ln
p
p
t BE
n
n
V V



(

=
kT
E E
N n
F c
c
) (
exp
0

(

=
kT
E
N N n
g
V c i
exp
2



(

=
kT
E E
n n
Fi F
i
exp
0
=
1
1+exp (

)
exp(

)


dx
dn
eD J
n diff
=
2
0 0 i
n p n =

=
4(2

)
3/2

2 / 1
1 2
(

+
(

=
d a d
a bi s
n
N N N
N
e
V
x
c

2 / 1
'
) )( ( 2
(

+ +
=
d a R bi
d a s
N N V V
N N e
C
c



2
2
0
2 2
i
d a d a
n
N N N N
p + |
.
|

\
|
+

=
1
1
2
2
kT
eV E
kT
eV E
a g a g

=

epd
B I
V
z x
H
=
Wd enV
L I
x
x
=