ECE

 305     Spring  2015  

ECE  305  Homework  SOLUTIONS:  Week  8  

 
Mark  Lundstrom  
Purdue  University  
 
1) The  sketch  below  shows  the  carrier  concentrations  in  a  PN  junction  at  room  
temperature.    Answer  the  following  questions.  
 

 
 
1a)    Is  the  diode  forward  or  reverse  biased?    Explain  your  answer.  
 
Solution:  
Forward  biased  because  there  are  excess  electrons  on  the  P-­‐side  and  excess  
holes  on  the  N-­‐side.  
 
1b)    What  is  the  acceptor  concentration  on  the  P-­‐side?  
 
Solution:     N A = 1016 cm -3  
 
1c)    What  is  the  donor  concentration  on  the  N-­‐side?  
 
Solution:     N D = 1014 cm -3  
 
1d)    What  is  the  intrinsic  carrier  concentration?  
 
Solution:  
n0 p0 = ni2    
On  the  P-­‐side:     n0 p0 = 1016 × 107 = 1023     ni = 1023 = 3.16 × 1011 cm -3    
On  the  N-­‐side:     n0 p0 = 1014 × 109 = 1023   ni = 1023 = 3.16 × 1011 cm -3    
 
ni = 3.16 × 1011 cm -3  

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HW8  solutions  (continued):  

 
1e)    Do  low  level  injection  conditions  apply?  
 
Solution:    YES.  
( )
On  the  P-­‐side:     Δn −x p = 1010 << p0 = 1016    
On  the  N-­‐side:     Δp ( xn ) = 1012 << n0 = 1014    
 
1f)    What  bias  (in  volts)  is  applied  to  the  diode?  
 
Solution:  
According  the  the  law  of  the  junction:    

( ) n2
Δn −x p = i eqVA kBT = n p0 eqVA kBT  
NA

VA =
k BT Δn −x p
ln
( )⎛ 1010 ⎞
= 0.026ln ⎜ 7 ⎟ = 0.18 V  
q n p0 ⎝ 10 ⎠
V A = 0.18 V  
 
1g)   Which  is  longer:    the  electron  diffusion  length  on  the  P-­‐side  of  the  junction  or  the  
hole  diffusion  length  on  the  N-­‐side  of  the  junction.  
 
Solution:  
The  electron  diffusion  length  on  the  P-­‐side.    (The  diffusion  length  is  the  distance  
it  takes  for  the  minority  carrier  concentration  to  return  to  its  value  in  the  bulk.  
 
Question:    What  would  the  figure  look  like  for  a  reverse  biased  diode?  
 
 
2) This  problem  concerns  the  energy  band  diagram  shown  below  for  a  diode  under  bias.  

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HW8  solutions  (continued):  

 
2a)     Is  the  diode  forward  or  reverse  biased?  
 
Solution:  
Forward  biased  because   Fn > Fp  .  
 
2b)     What  is  the  value  of  the  applied  bias?  
 
Solution:  
qV A = Fn − Fp  
V A = +0.5 V  
 
2c)     What  is  the  bandgap  of  the  semiconductor?  
 
Solution:  
Reading  from  the  graph:  
EC − EV = 1.25 eV  
 
2d)     What  is  the  built-­‐in  potential  of  the  junction.  
 
Solution:  
From  the  plot:     V j = Vbi − V A = 0.25 V  
Since:   V A = +0.5 V  
Vbi = V j + V A = 0.75 V   Vbi = 0.75 V  
 
 
3) A  silicon  diode  is  asymmetrically  doped  at   N D = 1019  cm-­‐3  and N A = 1016  cm-­‐3.    (Note  
that  at   N D = 1019 the  semiconductor  is  on  the  edge  of  degeneracy,  but  we  can  assume  
that  non-­‐degenerate  carrier  statistics  are  close  enough  for  this  problem.)    Answer  the  
following  questions  assuming  room  temperature.    Assume  that  the  minority  electron  
and  hole  lifetimes  are   τ n = τ p = 10−6  s.    The  lengths  of  the  N  and  P  regions  are  
L = 500 µm  and   L >> x p , xn .    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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HW8  Solutions  (continued):  

 
3a)   Find  the  zero-­‐bias  depletion  region  capacitance  per  cm2  of  diode  area.  
 
Solution:  
The  junction  capacitance  per  unit  area  is:  
Kε
C J = s 0    
W (V A )
The  depletion  region  width  for  a  one-­‐sided  junction  is:  
1/2
⎡ 2K ε ⎤
W (VA = 0 ) = ⎢ S 0 Vbi ⎥  
⎣ qN A ⎦
The  built-­‐in  potential  is  
k T ⎛N N ⎞
Vbi = B ln ⎜ D 2 A ⎟  
q ⎝ ni ⎠
Putting  in  numbers,  we  find:  
k T ⎛N N ⎞ ⎛ 10191016 ⎞
Vbi = B ln ⎜ D 2 A ⎟ = 0.026 ln ⎜ = 0.90  V  
q ⎝ ni ⎠ ⎝ 10 20 ⎟⎠
1/2 1/2
⎡ 2K ε ⎤ ⎡ 2 × 11.8 × 8.854 × 10 −14 ⎤
W (VA = 0 ) = ⎢ S 0 Vbi ⎥ =⎢ −19
× 0.90 ⎥ = 3.43 × 10 −5 cm  
⎣ 1.6 × 10 × 10
16
⎣ qN A ⎦ ⎦
 
(Note  that  we  used   ε 0  in  F/cm  and   N A  in  cm-­‐3  so  that  the  result  would  come  out  
in  cm  not  in  meters.)  
K sε 0 11.8 × 8.845 × 10−14
CJ 0 = = = 3.05 × 10−8 F/cm 2  
W (V A = 0 ) 2.8 × 10−5

C J 0 = 3.05 × 10−8 F/cm 2  

 
3b)   Find  the  depletion  capacitance  at   V A = −5  V  (reverse  biased).  
 
Solution:  
Kε K sε 0 W (V A = 0 ) Vbi CJ 0
CJ = s 0 = × = CJ 0 =  
W (V A ) W (V A = 0 ) W (V A ) Vbi − V A 1− V A Vbi
 
3.05 × 10−8
CJ = = 1.19 × 10−8 F/cm 2 < C J 0  
1+ 5 0.9
C J (V A = −5 V ) = 1.19 × 10−8 F/cm 2  
Reverse  bias  decreases  the  junction  capacitance.  
 

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HW8  Solutions  (continued):  

3c)   Find  the  depletion  capacitance  at   V A = + 0.5 V  (forward  biased).  
 
Solution:  
CJ 0 3.73× 10−8
CJ = = = 5.6 × 10−8 F/cm 2 > C J 0  
1− V A Vbi 1− 0.5 0.9
C J (V A = −5 V ) = 4.58 × 10−8 F/cm 2 Forward  bias  increases  the  junction  
 
capacitance.  
 
 
4) A  silicon  diode  is  asymmetrically  doped  at   N D = 1019  cm-­‐3  and N A = 1016  cm-­‐3.    (Note  
that  at   N D = 1019 the  semiconductor  is  on  the  edge  of  degeneracy,  but  we  can  assume  
that  non-­‐degenerate  carrier  statistics  are  close  enough  for  this  problem.)    Assume  that  
the  minority  electron  and  hole  lifetimes  are   τ n = τ p = 10−6  s.    The  lengths  of  the  N  and  
P  regions  are   L = 500 µm  and   L >> x p , xn .    
 
4a)   Estimate  the  applied  forward  bias  at  which  the  P-­‐region  enters  high-­‐level  
injection.  
 
Solution:  
High  injection  will  occur  first  on  the  lightly  doped  side,  the  P-­‐side.    The  
maximum  excess  electron  concentration    occurs  at  the  beginning  of  the  P-­‐side.    
From  the  law  of  the  junction:  
n2
(
Δn ( 0 ) = i eqVA kBT − 1    
NA
)
Low  level  injection  means:     Δn ( 0 ) << N A  
Let’s  estimate  the  voltage  needed  to  go  into  high-­‐level  injection,  this  way  

(
n2 qV k T
Δn ( 0 ) = i e HL B − 1 = N A  (*)  
NA
)
A  more  conservative  estimate  would  be   Δn ( 0 ) = 0.1N A ,  but  (*)  is  close  enough  
for  us  now.    Using  (*)  as  the  criteria:  
2
k T ⎛N ⎞ k T ⎛N ⎞
VHL = B ln ⎜ A ⎟ = 2 B ln ⎜ A ⎟  
q ⎝ ni ⎠ q ⎝ ni ⎠
⎛ 1016 ⎞
VHL = 2 × 0.026 × ln ⎜ 10 ⎟ = 0.781 V  
⎝ 10 ⎠
VHL = 0.718 V  
 

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HW8  Solutions  (continued):  

 
4b)   Compute  the  current  density  at  the  onset  of  high-­‐injection.  
 
Solution:  
The  current  density  is  given  by:  
(
J = J 0 eqVA kBT − 1   )
From  HW8,  problem  1):     J 0 = 9.1× 10−12 A/cm 2  
(
J = J 0 eqVA k BT
) ( )
− 1 = 9.1× 10−12 e0.718/0.026 − 1 = 9 A/cm 2  

J = 9 A/cm 2  
 
 
5) A  silicon  diode  is  asymmetrically  doped  at   N D = 1019  cm-­‐3  and N A = 1016  cm-­‐3.    (Note  
that  at   N D = 1019 the  semiconductor  is  on  the  edge  of  degeneracy,  but  we  can  assume  
that  non-­‐degenerate  carrier  statistics  are  close  enough  for  this  problem.)    Answer  the  
following  questions  assuming  room  temperature.    Assume  that  the  minority  electron  
and  hole  lifetimes  are   τ n = τ p = 10−6  s.    The  lengths  of  the  N  and  P  regions  are  
L = 500 µm  and   L >> x p , xn .    What  is  the  reverse  breakdown  voltage  of  this  diode?    
Assume  a  critical  field  for  breakdown  of  E cr = 3× 105  V/cm.  
 
Solution:  
2 (Vbi + VR ) ⎡ 2qN A (Vbi + VR ) ⎤
1/2
2V
E ( 0 ) = bi = 1/2 = ⎢ ⎥  
W ⎡ 2K S ε 0 ⎤ ⎣ K Sε 0 ⎦
⎢ qN (Vbi + VR ) ⎥
⎣ A ⎦
⎡ 2qN A (Vbi + VR ) ⎤
1/2

E cr = E ( 0 ) = ⎢ ⎥  
⎣ K Sε 0 ⎦
K εE 2
VBR = S 0 cr − Vbi  
2qN A
kBT ⎛ N D N A ⎞ ⎛ 10191016 ⎞
Vbi = ln ⎜ = 0.026 ln ⎜⎝ 10 20 ⎟⎠ = 0.90  
q ⎝ ni2 ⎟⎠
11.8 × 8.854 × 10 −14 × ( 3 × 10 5 )
2
K S ε 0E cr2
VBR = − 0.90 = − 0.90 = 29.4 − 0.90 = 28.5 V  
2qN A 2 × 1.6 × 10 −19 × 1016
VBR = 28.5 V  
 
This  assumes  a  planar  junction.    If  there  is  junction  curvature  at  the  edge  of  the  diode,  
the  breakdown  voltage  will  be  lower.  

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