ECX5243 – Physical and Opto Electronics

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Faculty of Engineering Technology
The Open University of Sri Lanka

Tutor Marked Assignment 1 – 2014/2015

Answer to parts A and B. Make a Power Point presentation which gives the solutions to the
selected questions. A brief discussion of general features of the particular mathematical
model used to explain conductivity of semiconductors used in questions, with relevance to
the basic concepts, theory on which the model is based and other important issues according
to your knowledge should be also included in the presentation. Bring your presentation in
a pen drive/CD to be presented on the appropriate presentation date.

Please select questions according to the first digit of your registration number as given
below:

First digit of the registration Questions to be answered

number
1, 2 1, 4 and 9
3, 4 2, 5 and 8
5, 6, 7 3, 6 and 7

Since the main idea of solving above problems is to get familiar with the main concepts,
underlying theory of the particular device model addressed in these questions, other than
finding the numerical answer/deriving the equation as requested in above questions
allocated to you, in your presentation you should also discuss the relevance of the particular
question to the mathematical model of the device under consideration.

Part A:

Q1. What are the requirements that should satisfy for conduction of current in a material?
Discuss.

Q2. Why is the ability to conduct electricity or conductivity, higher in metals than in
semiconductors at room temperature?

Q3. Why is the conductivity of insulators, when compared to that of semiconductor

negligible?

Q4. Explain why the narrower the band gap the higher is the intrinsic carrier density in a
semiconductor?

Q5. Explain why the intrinsic carrier density increases with an increase of temperature?

Q6. Why and how does the mobility depend on doping? Explain.
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Part B:

Q7. The Fermi level in a silicon sample at equilibrium is located 0.40 below the middle of
the band gap. At = 300
(i) Determine the probability of occupancy of the state located at the middle of the band gap.
(ii) Determine the probability of accepter states if the accepter states are located at 0.04
above the top of the valance band.
(iii) Check if the assumption of complete ionization in part (ii) is valid.

Q8.
(i) Derive an equation for total drift current in a semiconductor by stating all assumptions.
(ii) Explain the relationship of temperature on total drift current.
(iii) Consider silicon at = 300 . Assume the electron mobility is = 1350 / . The
∗ ∗
kinetic energy of an electron in the conduction band is where is the effective mass
which can be taken as 1.08 times the mass of an electron and is the drift velocity
Determine the kinetic energy of an electron in the conduction hand if the applied electric
field is
(a) 10 / (b) 1 / .
Q9.
(i) Derive equations for free electron/hole concentration of intrinsic semiconductors by
stating all assumptions with reference to the energy band model of semiconductors.
(ii) The intrinsic carrier concentration varies with temperature as (− ) where
= 8.62 × 10 / . Calculate for at the following temperatures given that = 2.4 ×

10 at 300 . Neglect any change of with and assume = 0.67 .
(a) −23℃ (b) 127℃ (c) 327℃
(iii) A value for the p-n junction reverse saturation current is found to be 1 at room
temperature. Find the voltage that will produce a forward current of
(a) 1 (b) 1

Note: Presentations will be held on 03 rd January, 2015 at Colombo Regional Center. Please
limit your presentation for 10minutes.

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