Electrical Currents at p

p-n Junction
NA- ND+
P N
Majority carrier: Majority carrier:
hole (Nh-p) electron (Ne-n)
Minority carrier: Minority carrier:
electron (Ne-p) hole (Nh-n)

U0
E

Department of Electrical Engineering

Jun Zou Dwight Look College of Engineering

2012-08-05 23:22:17 1/19 pn_junction.pdf (#36)

 Electrical Currents at p
p-n Junction
NA- ND+
P N
Majority carrier: Majority carrier:
hole (Nh-p) electron (Ne-n)
Minority carrier: Minority carrier:
electron (Ne-p) hole (Nh-n)

U0

• For electrons E
– Majority carriers (Ne-n) diffuse from n to p. Idiff_electron
– Minority carrier (Ne-p) drift from p to n by E. Idrift_electron

Department of Electrical Engineering

Jun Zou Dwight Look College of Engineering

2012-08-05 23:22:17 2/19 pn_junction.pdf (2/4)

 Electrical Currents at p
p-n Junction
NA- ND+
P N
Majority carrier: Majority carrier:
hole (Nh-p) electron (Ne-n)
Minority carrier: Minority carrier:
electron (Ne-p) hole (Nh-n)

U0

• For holes E
– Majority carrier (Nh-p) diffuse from p to n. Idiff_hole
– Minority carrier (Nh-n) drift from n to p by E. Idrift_hole

Department of Electrical Engineering

Jun Zou Dwight Look College of Engineering

2012-08-05 23:22:18 3/19 pn_junction.pdf (3/4)

 Electrical Currents at p
p-n Junction
NA- ND+
P N
Majority carrier: Majority carrier:
hole (Nh-p) electron (Ne-n)
Minority carrier: Minority carrier:
electron (Ne-p) hole (Nh-n)

U0

• For electrons E
– Majority carriers (Ne-n) diffuse from n to p. Idiff_electron
– Minority carrier (Ne-p) drift from p to n by E. Idrift_electron
• For holes
– Majority
j y carrier (N ( h-p) diffuse from p to n. Iddiff_hole
oe
– Minority carrier (Nh-n) drift from n to p by E. Idrift_hole
• At equilibrium
– Idiff-electron = -Idrift-electron
– Idiff-hole
diff hole = -IIdrift-hole
drift hole
– Net currents = 0
Department of Electrical Engineering
Jun Zou Dwight Look College of Engineering

2012-08-05 23:22:18 4/19 pn_junction.pdf (4/4)

Today's topics:
1) p-n junction analysis
(cont)
2) Diffusion and drift currents
in p-n junction
3) Rectification of p-n
junction

2012-08-05 23:22:18 5/19 Final Lecture (#35)

2012-08-05 23:22:18 6/19 Final Lecture (2/7)
 The minus sign means
the electron has to
overcome a barrier

2012-08-05 23:22:19 7/19 Final Lecture (3/7)

 We lower the electric potential
of n region by U

2012-08-05 23:22:19 8/19 Final Lecture (4/7)

 Under reverse bias , raise the electrical potential
of n region by U1, therefore lower the PE of e's
in n region by e*U1

2012-08-05 23:22:19 9/19 Final Lecture (5/7)

2012-08-05 23:22:19 10/19 Final Lecture (6/7)
2012-08-05 23:22:19 11/19 Final Lecture (7/7)
2012-08-05 23:22:20 12/19 Lecture #15 (#34)
2012-08-05 23:22:20 13/19 Lecture #15 (2/4)
 Conclusion: the built-in field/potential creates a
shift (= eU ) of electron energy between P region
and N regions.

This kind of shift will apply to more energy

bands/levels.

2012-08-05 23:22:20 14/19 Lecture #15 (3/4)

2012-08-05 23:22:20 15/19 Lecture #15 (4/4)
1) Extrinsic Semiconductor
Calculation
2) p-n junction fabrication
3) p-n junction introduction
4) p-n junction analysis

2012-08-05 23:22:20 16/19 Lecture #14 (#31)

2012-08-05 23:22:21 17/19 Lecture #14 (2/4)
2012-08-05 23:22:21 18/19 Lecture #14 (3/4)
2012-08-05 23:22:21 19/19 Lecture #14 (4/4)