Fermi Level: It is the highest energy level that an electron can reach or occupy in a material at absolute zero temperature.

In simple words, it is one of the energy levels in a semiconductor above which all energy levels are unoccupied or vacant at absolute temperature. It should be noted that this is not the case in insulators and semiconductors since the valence and consecution bands are separated. Therefore the Fermi-Level is located in the band gap. It can be seen in the diagram below.

Fermi Energy: It is the amount of energy required for an electron to jump from the valence band into the Fermi Level. In simple words, it is the energy difference between the energies of valence band and the Fermi Energy Level.

Energy bands: In an isolated atom the valence electrons can exist only in one of the allowed orbitals each of a sharply defined energy called energy levels. But when two atoms are brought nearer to each other, there are alterations in energy levels and they spread in the form of bands.

Energy bands are of following types Valence band: The valence band is the band made up of the occupied molecular orbitals and is lower in energy than the so-called conduction band. It is generally completely full in semiconductors when heated, electrons from this band jump out of the band across the band gap and into the conduction band, making the material conductive. Conduction Band: The conduction band is the band of orbitals that are high in energy and are generally empty. In reference to conductivity in semiconductors, it is the band that accepts the electrons from the valence band.

The Fermi-Dirac Distribution: At absolute zero, fermions will fill up all available energy states below a level called Fermi energy with one particle. They are constrained by the Paul exclusion principle. At the higher temperature, some are evaluate to level above the Fermi level. The statically distribution of electron over a range of allowed energy levels at thermal equilibrium is: ( )
( )

Where K is Boltzmanns constant, T is temperature, is Fermi Energy, the Fermi function provides the probability that an energy level at energy E. For an energy E equal to the Fermi energy then ( ) [ So, the probability of (
( )

)]

for occupation of electron.

Figure 1 Fermi-Dirac distribution function with Temperature.

Thus at T=0 when E< When E>

the exponential term in equation .1 becomes zero and ( )

the exponential term in equation .1 becomes infinite and ( )

Population inversion : A population inversion occurs when a group of atoms or molecules exists in state with more members in an excited state than in lower energy states. The condition that occurs when a material is radiated with another material at a certain wavelength, causing electrons to jump to a higher orbit. Population inversion is the reason a laser works. The spontaneous emission of photons is amplified by mirrors causing a chain reaction and further stimulation of the excited atoms to release photons.

Fermi distribution function Application: Fermi distribution function can be used to calculate the Concentration of Electrons Concentration of Holes The concentration of electrons in conduction band is ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ()

If we represent all of the distribution electrons states in the conduction band by an effective density of state located at the conduction band electron concentration is simply the effective density of states times the probability of occupancy at ( The Fermi function can be simplified as ( )
( ) ( )

( )

We get from (ii) to put the value of (

Carrier concentration Vs. Inverse temperature for Si atom diagram

Effect of temperature and doping mobility: There are various types of scattering mechanism in semiconductors. Scattering mechanism that is influence electrons and holes mobility are lattice scattering and impurity scattering. In lattice scattering a carrier is moving though the crystal is scattering by a vibration of the lattice scattering from temperature. The frequency of such scattering events unconvinced as temperature increase. Since the thermal registration of the lattice becomes greater. The scattering from crystal defects such as ionized impurities becomes the dominants mechanism at low temperature due to impurity scattering decrease temperature.