EE 698T, January 2018

Charge and Heat Transport in Semiconductors

Assignment 4, Posted: 16th March 2018, Due Date: 27th March 2018
Instructions:
- Present your solutions neatly
- Show relevant steps for partial marks
- Attach question sheet to the top of your homework. Write your name, roll no., and date of submission
on the top of attached question sheet.
- Assignments should be submitted before class on due date; Late submission by one/two days will
invoke penalty of 25/50% on marks scored. Assignments will not be accepted later than 2 days after
the due date (no exceptions). You are allowed to work with other students in the class on homeworks
but what you submit must be in your handwriting and have your own plots and figures. No marks will
be given for copied submissions (Disciplinary action will be taken in such cases)
- Total Marks: 47
ℏ
NOTE: For all problems, assume isotropic conduction band with dispersion: = ∗ (Wave vector k, has 1, 2,
and 3 components in 1D, 2D, and 3D, respectively)

Problem 1: 1D Ballistic Transistor (5 + 3 + 2 = 10 marks)

In the class, we derived I-V characteristics for a 1D ballistic MOSFET in the Boltzmann limit. Using the
derived result we were able to explain only the sub-threshold behavior.
a) Re-derive the IDS(VGS, VDS) result considering Fermi-Dirac distribution of electrons in the source
and drain.
b) Assuming, threshold voltage VT = 0.4 V, draw the IDS-VGS (IDS in linear as well as log-scale, VDS
= 1V) and IDS-VDS characteristics of the transistor. Assume VGS and VDS vary from 0-1V.
c) Look online for a paper reporting 1D Ballistic transistor (either theoretical or experimental
paper). Compare your calculations (current levels etc.) to the results given in paper (Give
reference and comparison plots) ?

Problem 2: 1D Flux Calculation with a Square Barrier (2 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 3 = 17 marks)

Consider a 1D semiconductor with potential variation along the length shown in figure below:

If V0 = 0.5eV, d = 5nm, EF,L = 0.1 eV, calculate the following:

a) Thermionic current (due to flux from left side), at 300K and 77K, assuming T(E) = 1 for E > V0.
b) Plot actual T(E) for the given potential.
c) Numerically calculate the thermionic current at 300K and 77K, assuming correct T(E). Compare
your answers with current calculated in part (a).

1
 d) Plot actual T(E) in log-scale for E<V0 and compare the result with T(E) calculated using WKB
approximation.
e) Numerically calculate the tunneling current at low temperature (assuming f(E) as step function)
through the barrier using actual T(E) and WKB T(E). Compare the answers.
f) Repeat the calculation in (e) at 300K (using the corresponding f(E)). Compare your answer with
tunneling currents calculated in part (e).

Problem 3: 2D Flux Calculation (5 + 1 = 6 marks)

In the class, we calculated electron flux along +x direction (flux with kx > 0), from a 2D semiconductor whose
conduction band is filled till Fermi-level Ef. The calculation was done assuming low temperature (assuming f(E) as
step function).
(a) Repeat the flux calculation at any temperature T ?
(b) Do you expect the flux to increase or decrease with increase in temperature ? Support your answer with
reasoning.

Problem 4: 3D Thermionic Emission (3 + 4 = 7 marks)

(a) Consider a 3D semiconductor whose conduction band is filled till Fermi-level Ef. Find the flux of electrons
along +x. Assume low temperature (assuming f(E) as step function).
(b) Consider a Schottky Barrier Diode (Metal-n-type Semiconductor junction) with metal to semiconductor
barrier height = ΦB. Draw the equilibrium band diagram perpendicular to metal-semiconductor junction
(lets call this direction x), labeling all relevant energies. Calculate the flux of electrons injected from
semiconductor to metal (along x). Assuming T(E) = 0, for all electrons whose energy component
along x is less than barrier height and T(E) = 1, for all electrons whose energy component along x
is greater than the barrier height. [Hint: If needed, look in “Physics of Semiconductor Devices”
by S. M. Sze, in the chapter on Metal-Semiconductor contacts for an outline of the derivation].

Problem 5: 1D RTD with δ barriers (4 + 3 = 7 marks)

In the class we discussed transmission coefficient of a square barrier and an RTD with square barriers. In this
problem, lets replace the square barriers with δ barriers.

(a) Find the T-matrix of a single δ barrier ? Find expressions for r, t, R, T ? Plot the transmission coefficient
T(E) ? [Hint: You can derive the results using results of a square barrier by taking V0  ∞ and d  0 so
that S = V0*d remains constant]. For the plot assume S = 2.5 eV-nm, m* = 0.067m0 and energy range from
0-1 eV.
(b) Now consider a RTD made from two δ barriers (each with strength S = 2.5 eV-nm) separated by
distance a = 15 nm. Write a code to plot T(E) of the RTD in linear and log scale. [Hint: Use can
use Eqn. 5.72/5.73 from Davies, Chapter 5]. Assume m* = 0.067m0.