Notes for

ECE-606: Spring 2013

DOS(E) & Carrier Densities

Professor Mark Lundstrom
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
lundstro@purdue.edu

1/31/13
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13 1

Si energy levels / bands

conduction band
• • • • • • • • •
What is the probability, f,
• • • • • • • • • that the states in any of
valence band
these bands are filled?

4N states / band

N = 5 x 1022 /cm3

2
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 occupying the bands

E small probability
conduction band of being filled.
• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •
valence band

small probability
of being empty.

Fermi function
0 1 f (E)
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13 3

Fermi function

Fermi level
f (E)

k BT
1

• • • • • • • • • (equilibrium)

12

1
f (E) = ( E ! EF )
1+ e kB T

0
EF
E
4
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 conduction band
non-degenerate
semiconductor
f (E)
E >> EF
1
f ( E ) ! e " ( E " EF ) k B T

• • • • • • • • • small probability
of being full

1
f (E) = ( E ! EF )
1+ e kB T

0
EF E
5
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

valence band
1
f (E) small probability fh ( E ) = 1 ! f ( E ) = ( EF ! E )
of being empty 1+ e kB T

E << EF fh ( E ) ! e F
" ( E " E ) kB T

• • • • • • • • • non-degenerate
semiconductor

1
f (E) = ( E ! EF )
1+ e kB T

0
EF E
6
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 effect of temperature

f (E)

kBT0
1

• • • • • • • • •

T1 > T0
1
f (E) = ( E ! EF )
1+ e kB T

0
EF T2 < T0 E
7
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

Fermi function

1
f (E) =
1 + e( E ! EF ) kB T

8
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 density of states
E
ECtop
Number of states in an
energy range, dE
g ( E ) dE
Units: #/J-m3
EC
ECtop

EV
! g ( E )dE = 4N
EC

EVbot

9
g(E)
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

density of states near the band edge

E
ECtop

g ( E ) dE
EC In equilibrium (and near
equilibrium), we only need
the density of states near
EV
the band edge.

EVbot Determined by E(k)

near the band
g(E)
10
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
edge.
 E(k) near the band edges

2 2
E band structure
p p
E= ! ( E " EC ) = of common
2m0 2mn* semiconductors
(not graphene!)
EC

p = !k
EV

p2
EV ! E =
2m *p

11
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density of states in k-space

1D:
⎛ L⎞ L
N k dk= 2 × ⎜ ⎟ dk = dk
⎝ 2π ⎠ π
2D: Things are simple
A A 2 in k-space!
N k d 2k = 2 × d 2k = d k
( 2π ) 2π 2
2

3D:
⎛ Ω ⎞ Ω 3
N k d 3k=2 × ⎜ 2 ⎟ d 3k = d k
⎝ 8π ⎠ 4π 3
12
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 density of states in k-space

1
nS = ( ) ( )
! f E " # f0 Ek N k dkx dk y cm-2
A k! 0 k BZ

# A & A
N k =2 ! % 2 ( =
$ 4" ' 2" 2

proportional to area
13
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

density of states in energy space

E
1
( ) ( ) ( )
TOP

nS = ∑ f0 Ek → ∫ f0 Ek D2 D E dE
A k E BOT

N k dk
A
( )
= D2 D E dE

per unit area

14
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 2D DOS(E) – parabolic bands

⎛ 1 ⎞
D2 D (E)dE = ⎜ 2 ⎟ 2π kdk
⎝ 2π ⎠

m*
D2 D (E)dE = dE
! !2

!2k 2 ! 2 kdk m*
E= dE = D2 D (E) =
2m* m* ! !2
15
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

2D DOS(E) – subbands

! 2 k||2 mi*
E = !i + D (E) = gV
i

2mi*
2D
! !2

“valley degeneracy”

! 2 k||2
2mi*

16
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 2D DOS(E) – graphene
Graphene is a one-atom-thick planar carbon sheet with a
honeycomb lattice.

source: CNTBands 2.0 on nanoHUB.org

Graphene has an unusual bandstructure that leads to

interesting effects and potentially to useful electronic devices.

17
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

graphene: simplified E(k)

We will use a very simple description of the graphene bandstructure,
which is a good approximation near the Fermi level.

E ( k ) = ±!! F k = ±!! F k x2 + k y2

1 ∂E
()
υ k =
 ∂k
= υ F ≈ 1 × 108 cm/s

f1 ( E )
ky (valley degeneracy)

kx neutral point ( Dirac point )

We will refer to the EF > 0 case, as

n-type graphene and to the EF < 0
case as p-type graphene. 18
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 2D DOS(E) – graphene

E
D2 D (E)dE = dE
! ( !" F )
2

E ( k ) = !! F k dE = !! F dk
E
D2 D (E) = gV
( )
E EdE 2
k= kdk = π υ F
( !! )
2
!! F F 19
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

2D DOS (E)
parabolic graphene

D2 D D2 D

mi* E 2E
D (E) = gV
i
D2 D ( E ) = gV =
2D
! !2 !! "2 2
F
! ! 2" F2
20
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 Fermi level (electrochemical potential)
n0 N p0 P
EC 1 EC
f0 ( E ) =
1+ e( E!EF ) kBT
EF
EF
E << EF " f0 ( E ) = 1
EV EV
holes
EV
filled states E >> EF " f0 ( E ) = 0 EV
filled states

21
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intrinsic semiconductor (3D)

EC

EF = EI n0 = p0 = ni

EV
n0 p0 = ni2
hole
EV
filled states
ni ! e" EG k B TL

ni ( 300K ) ! 1010 cm -3

22
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 n-type semiconductor (3D)

EC

EF Expect:

n0 = N C e( EF −EC ) kBT
EV
EV
filled states

23
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p-type semiconductor (3D)

EC

Expect:

EF p0 = NV e( EV −EF ) kBT
EV
holes
EV
filled states

24
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 intrinsic semiconductor

EC

EF = EI n0 = p0 = ni

EV
n0 p0 = ni2
hole
EV
filled states
n0 = N C e( EF −EC ) kBT

p0 = NV e( EV −EF ) kBT

ni2 = N C NV e− EG k BT

25
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Example: 2D parabolic energy bands

ETOP

nS = ! f ( E ) D ( E ) dE
0 2D
cm "2 f0 ( E ) =
1
1+ e(
EC E! E F )/k BT

mn*
ETOP
1 $ mn* ' D (E) = g
" ! !2
!2
nS = ( E! EF )/k BT & gV # ! 2 ) dE cm
2D V

EC 1+ e % (

" mn* % ) dE
2' *
nS = $ gV
# ! ! & EC 1+ e E( EF )/k BT
(
! " ( E # EC ) k BT
" m % *
dE
)

nS = $ gV ' * n

# ! ! & EC 1+ e(
2 E( EC + EC ( E F )/k BT ! F " ( E F # EC ) k BT
26
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 Example: 2D parabolic energy bands

" m* % )
nS = $ gV n2 ' *
dE ! " ( E # EC ) k BT
# ! ! & EC 1+ e( E( EC + EC ( EF )/k BT
dE = k BTd!
" g m*k T % * d(
nS = $ V n 2 B ' + ( )( ! F " ( E F # EC ) k BT
# !! & 0 1+ e F
#
d!
( )
$0 1+ e!"!F = ln 1+ e F = F 0 (! F )
!

" gV mn*k BT %
nS = $ ' F 0 (( F ) = N C F 0 (( F )
2D

# ! ! 2
&
27
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

N-type semiconductor (2D parabolic)

nS = N C2 D F 0 (! F )
EC
" gV mn*k BT %
N 2D
=$ '
EF # !!
C 2
&

EV
(
F 0 (! F ) = ln 1+ e!F )
EV ! F << 0 E F << EC :
filled states
F 0 (! F ) " e!F

nS = N C2 D e!F non-degenerate
semiconductor
28
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13
 Example: 2D linear energy bands
ETOP

nS = ! f ( E ) D ( E ) dE
0 2D
cm "2 f0 ( E ) =
1
( E! EF )/k BT
0 1+ e
2E
ETOP
1 % 2E ( D2 D ( E ) =
" ! ! 2" F2
!2
nS = ' # ! 2$ 2 * dE cm
1+ e(
E! E F )/k BT
EC & F )

# 2 &* EdE
nS = % 2 2 ( +
$ ! ! " F ' 0 1+ e( F ) B
E) E /k T

! " E k BT
# 2 & + k BT ) ( k BTd) )
nS = % 2 2 ( , ) *)
$ ! ! " F ' 0 1+ e F ! F " E F k BT
29
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

Example: 2D linear energy bands

2# k T&
2 +
) d) ! " E k BT
nS = % B (
! $ !" F ' ,0 1+ e)*)F
! F " E F k BT
$
! d!
F 1 (! F ) " % ! #! F
0 1+ e

nS = N CgrapheneF 1 (! F ) cm -2
2
2# k T&
N graphene
= % B (
C
! $ !" F '
Lundstrom ECE-606 S13 30
 Fermi-Dirac integrals
$
1 ! j d!
( )
F j !F =
"( j + 1) %0 1 + e! # !F ( )
F j ! F " e!F

(
!(n) = n " 1 ! ) (n integer)

!(1 / 2) = "
dF j
= F j "1
!( p + 1) = p!( p) d! F

don t confuse with….

For an introduction to Fermi-Dirac integrals, see: Notes on Fermi-Dirac Integrals,
3rd Ed., by R. Kim and M. Lundstrom) https://www.nanohub.org/resources/5475
31 Lundstrom ECE-606 S13

exercises
"

E ! EC
# ( E ! E ) f ( E ) D ( E ) dE
EC
C 0 2D

u= = "
J
nS
# f ( E ) D ( E ) dE
EC
0 2D

1)  T = 0 K
2)  Under non-degenerate conditions
3)  In general

32 Lundstrom ECE-606 S13