Electronic Devices

Tutorial -4
 Question -1
A Si sample with 1015 /𝑐𝑚3 donors is uniformly optically excited at room
temperature such that 1019 /𝑐𝑚3 EHPs are generated per second. Find the
separation of the quasi-fermi levels and the change in conductivity upon shining
the light. Electron and hole lifetime are 10𝜇𝑠, 𝐷𝑝 = 12 𝑐𝑚2 𝑠

At steady-state, ∆𝑛 = ∆𝑝 = 𝐺𝐿 𝜏 = 1014 𝑐𝑚−3

Since the donor density is higher this is low level injection and the impact of
electrons may be neglected in the resistivity
Assuming 300K, Change in conductivity
𝐷𝑝
∆𝜎 = 𝑞𝜇𝑝 ∆𝑝 = q 𝑘𝑇 ∆𝑝 = 0.007385Ω−1 𝑐𝑚−1
𝑞
Quasi Fermi Levels are given by comparing total electron and hole
concentrations to ni – assumed to be 1.5 × 1010 𝑐𝑚−3
𝑛
𝐹𝑛 − 𝐸𝑖 = 𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 = 0.291 𝑒𝑉
𝑛𝑖
∆𝑝
𝐸𝑖 − 𝐹𝑝 = 𝑘𝑇𝑙𝑛 = 0.229 𝑒𝑉
𝑛𝑖
 Question -2
A semiconductor bar of length 8 𝜇𝑚 and cross-sectional area of 2 (𝜇𝑚)2 is uniformly
doped with a much higher doping concentration such that ionized impurity scattering
causes its majority carrier mobility to be a function of doping 𝑁𝑑 𝑐𝑚−3 as
800
𝜇= 𝑐𝑚2 𝑉 −1 𝑠 −1
𝑁𝑑
1020 𝑐𝑚−3
If the electron drift current for an applied voltage of 160 V is 1.60 A, calculate the
doping concentration in the bar. If the minority carrier mobility is 500 𝑐𝑚2 𝑉 − 𝑠, and
its saturation velocity is106 𝑐𝑚 𝑠 for fields above 100 𝑘𝑉 𝑐𝑚 calculate the hole drift
current. What are the electron and hole diffusion currents in the center of the bar?
800×1010 𝑉
From the drift current relationship, 𝐼𝑛 = 𝑞𝐴𝜇𝑛 𝑛ℰ = 𝑞𝐴 𝑁𝑑 𝑙 gives
𝑁𝑑
𝑁𝑑 = 9.76 × 1016 𝑐𝑚−3.
The hole drift current 𝐼𝑝 = 𝑞𝐴𝑝𝑣𝑑 . The E-field in the bar ℰ = 𝑉 𝑙 = 0.2 𝑀𝑉 𝑐𝑚 is
higher than the critical field. 𝑝 = 1.02 × 105 𝑐𝑚−3 .hence current can be calculated
as 3.264 × 10−16 𝐴.
 Question 3
We shine 1017 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑐𝑚2 − 𝑠𝑒𝑐 which are all absorbed near the surface at
𝑥 = 0 of a p-type semiconductor, raising the temperature to 500K. If the
minority carrier lifetime is 200𝑛𝑠 in this material, electron mobility is
2000 𝑐𝑚2 𝑉𝑠, and the hole mobility is 500 𝑐𝑚2 𝑉𝑠, calculate the electron
diffusion current density 20 microns from the surface.

the total number of minority carriers generated due to the incident light =
𝐺𝐿 𝜏𝑛 = 2 × 1010 𝑐𝑚−2 .
𝑘𝑇
The diffusion coefficient of electrons 𝐷𝑛 = 𝜇𝑛 = 86.67𝑐𝑚2 𝑠 −1 and the
𝑞
minority carrier diffusion length is given by 𝐿𝑛 = 𝐷𝑛 𝜏𝑛 = 41.63𝜇𝑚.
The electron diffusion current density is given by
𝐷𝑝 𝑥
−𝐿
𝐽𝑛 = 𝑞 𝐺𝐿 𝜏𝑛 𝑒 𝑛 = 5.239 × 10−6 /𝑐𝑚
𝐿𝑝
 Question - 4
An n-type Si sample with 𝑁𝑑 = 1015 𝑐𝑚−3 is steadily illuminated such that
𝑔𝑜𝑝 = 1021 𝐸𝐻𝑃 𝑐𝑚3 𝑠. If 𝜏𝑛 = 𝜏𝑝 = 1𝜇𝑠 for this excitation, calculate the
separation of the quasi-fermi levels, 𝐹𝑛 − 𝐹𝑝 . Draw the appropriate band
diagram.

Excess carriers generated ∆𝑛 = ∆𝑝 = 𝑔𝑜𝑝 𝜏 = 1015 𝑐𝑚−3

Total number of carriers,
𝑛 = 2 × 1015 𝑐𝑚−3 and 𝑝 ≈ 1015 𝑐𝑚−3
Hence the quasi-fermi levels can be found out, assuming T=300K as,
𝑘𝑇 𝑛
𝐹𝑛 − 𝐸𝑖 = 𝑙𝑛 = 0.307 𝑒𝑉
𝑞 𝑛𝑖
𝑘𝑇 𝑝
𝐸𝑖 − 𝐹𝑝 = 𝑙𝑛 = 0.289 𝑒𝑉
𝑞 𝑝𝑖
And 𝐹𝑛 − 𝐹𝑝 = 0.596 𝑒𝑉
 Question - 5
A semiconductor with a bandgap of 0.8eV and an intrinsic carrier concentration
of 1012 𝑐𝑚−3 is doped with 1018 𝑐𝑚−3 donors on the left half and 1017 𝑐𝑚−3
acceptors on the right half. Draw the equilibrium band diagram. Calculate the
junction potential and the position of the Fermi level, and indicate them on the
band diagram. Suppose an electron at the conduction band edge on the p-side
goes over to the n-side without scattering. Assuming, parabolic band structure,
calculate its wavevector there. The effective mass of the carriers is 0.2𝑚0 .

The contact potential or built in voltage is given by

𝑘𝑇 𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷
𝑉0 = 𝑙𝑛 = 0.659 𝑉
𝑞 𝑛𝑖2
When an electron moves from the p-type to n-type with no scattering, it gains
an energy equivalent of the built-in voltage of 0.659eV. Assuming, parabolic E-
k and effective mass approximation
ℏ2 𝑘 2 2𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑓 𝐸
𝐸= ⇒𝑘= = 1.88 × 109 𝑚−1
2𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑓 ℏ
 Question - 6
In a p-n junction, the n-side doping is five times the p-side doping. The intrinsic
carrier concentration = 1011 𝑐𝑚−3 and band gap is 2eV at 100℃. If the built-in
junction potential is 0.65 V, what is the doping on the p-side?

𝑁𝐷 = 5𝑁𝐴
𝑘𝑇 𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷
The built in voltage 𝑉0 = 𝑙𝑛 = 0.65
𝑞 𝑛𝑖2
Gives 𝑁𝐴 = 1.04 × 1015 𝑐𝑚−3 and 𝑁𝐷 = 5.2 × 1015 𝑐𝑚−3
 Evaluative Component - Quiz
Instructions to students:
1. Clearly write your name and ID on the top of the page.
2. Please write in pen only including any figures…
3. Use your notebook for any rough work that is needed.
4. No partial marking, however all steps to get the answer
need to be shown to get credit.
5. No copying of any sort. Only individual work will be
evaluated
6. Please box your final answer.
7. Time = 15min
8. OPEN BOOK OPEN NOTES
9. Total Marks =4
 Question
Consider a silicon sample at 300 K. Assume that the electron concentration varies
linearly with distance. At 𝑥 = 0, the electron concentration is 𝑛 0 . At 𝑥 = 10𝜇𝑚, the
electron concentration is 𝑛 10𝜇𝑚 = 5 × 1014 𝑐𝑚−3 . If the electron diffusion
2
coefficient, assumed constant, is 𝐷𝑛 = 30 𝑐𝑚 𝑠, determine the electron
concentration at 𝑥 = 0 for the following two diffusion current densities:
(a) Jndiff = + 0.9 A/cm2
(b) Jndiff = - 0.9 A/cm2.
The electronic diffusion current is given by
𝑑𝑛 𝑛 𝑥 −𝑛(0)
𝐽𝑛 = 𝑞𝐷𝑛 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑞𝐷𝑛 for a linear concentration gradient
𝑥
𝑥𝐽𝑛
𝑛 0 =𝑛 𝑥 − = 5 × 1014 − 2.083 × 1014 𝐽𝑛 0
𝑞𝐷𝑛
When J is +ve, 𝑛 0 < 𝑛 10𝜇𝑚 = 3.125 × 1014 𝑐𝑚−3
When J is –ve, 𝑛 0 > 𝑛 10𝜇𝑚 = 6.875 × 1014 𝑐𝑚−3