Doped Semiconductors

E EC EC
ED ED
EG EG
T=0K T>0K
EV EV
valence electrons holes
x 1 1
1 ED EF ED E F
f donor 1 exp ; f acceptor 1 4 exp
2 k BT k T
B

nD N D f donor
The temperature dependence of the conducting electron
concentration in an n-type semiconductor 1
 Doped Semiconductors
conducting electrons
E EC EC
ED ED
neutral ionized Nd
donors EG donors EG
T=0K T>0K
EV EV
valence electrons conducting
electrons

The temperature dependence of the electron concentration

in an n-type semiconductor. 2
Doped (Non-Degenerate) Semiconductors:
Distribution Function
ni hi ; n ni nD ; p hi N D
nD N D N D ; nD N D f donors
ND 1<g<4 and
nD N D
EC EF exp (Ec-EF) >>1
1 g exp
k BT
EC EF
N D exp
k BT
The dependence of the electron concentration in an n-type
semiconductor as a function of temperature and donor
3
energy.
Fermi Energy Level in an n-
type Semiconductor
EC ED
nn ni N D exp ;
k BT
2
n
ni N D ; nn N D ; pn i ;
ND
N D NC
EC EF Ei kT ln kT ln
ni ND

An approximation for shallow donors, EC-ED < 2 kT

4
 Intrinsic and Doped
Semiconductors
Example: Si is doped by donor atoms with concentration
ND=1017 cm-3 and activation energy ED=20 meV. Calculate
number of conducting electrons at room temperature
Ec
3
n ni nD ; ni 10 cm N D
10 EF
ED
EC ED
nD N D exp ; EF EC ED / 2
2 k BT
0.02
10 exp
17
10 17
0.68
2 0.026 EV

The electron concentration in an n-type semiconductor,

Fermi level is between EC and ED shallow donors.
5
 Carrier Statistics in Intrinsic
and Doped Semiconductors

Energy band diagrams for (a) intrinsic (b) n-type

and (c) p-type semiconductors. The Fermi energy level is
shown. 6
 Non-equilibrium Carriers in
Semiconductors: Quasi-Fermi level
Under conditions different than thermal equilibrium
(light, strong electric field, etc.), carrier concentration
and energy distribution no longer solely depends on
temperature. New Fermi level for each type of charge
carrier (electrons and holes) can be established (quasi-
Fermi level). The quasi-Fermi levels for electrons and
holes, EFn and EFp, are not in general equal (i.e.,
independent from each other). To find them, we usually
begin with n(E) and p(E), and write them in terms of the
conduction and valence band densities of states and the
quasi-Fermi levels EFn and EFp.

7
 Non-equilibrium Carriers in
Semiconductors: Quasi-Fermi level
However, the electron population is near equilibrium
within the conduction energy band, and the hole
population is near equilibrium within the valence energy
band. Thus, the population of electrons over the
conduction band states, if ne< NC, follows MB statistics,
where EFn is electron quasi-Fermi energy level:
EC EFn
n( E ) N C exp
kT
NC
and EFn ( E ) EC kT ln
n ( E )

8
 Carriers in Semiconductors:
Summary and Control Questions
Find Fermi energy level (or just Fermi level) in an

(a) Intrinsic (or undoped) semiconductor

(b) P-type semiconductor
(c) N-type semiconductor
(d) Degenerate semiconductor
(e) Compensated semiconductors (NDNA)

How about dark and under illumination? Is MB

statistic still applicable?
9
Semiconductor Band Structure
and K-space: Very Briefly
E E

photon photon
hv hv
Eg
phonon
k k
HH HH
LH
Split off LH Split off
Direct Band Gap Indirect Band Gap 10
Semiconductor Band Structure
and K-space: Control question
In terms of band structure, what is the
difference between direct and indirect
band semiconductor?

11
 Semiconductor Band Structure
and K-space: Control question
In terms of band structure, what is the
difference between direct and indirect
band semiconductor?
E E

Direct, Indirect,
GaAs, III-V Si, Ge

k k 12
Electron Motion Under Applied
Voltage: Carrier Drift

When an electric field is applied,

electrons in the CB and holes in the
VB can drift and contribute to the
conductivity. A simplified
illustration of drift in Ex. Applied
field bends the energy bands since
the electrostatic Potential Energy
(PE) of the electron is eV(x) and
V(x) decreases in the direction of
Ex whereas PE increases.
13
 Electron Motion Under Applied
Voltage: Carrier Drift
I current [A], J current density [A/cm2];
V voltage [V], E electric field [V/cm]
R resistance [Ohm]; resistivity [Ohm cm]
conductivity [1/(Ohm cm)]=[S]

V
I ;E V / x
R
1 vdr
; J E; en dr en
E
14
Carrier Mobility & Velocity:
Thermal Velocity

15
Carrier Diffusion

16
 Carrier Diffusion

k BT
Dn n ; vdrif t n E ;
q
v cm 2 q V cm 2 cm 2
n ; Dn s s
E Vs
Q V

Carrier mobility an important parameter 17

Drift Velocity: Constant Mobility
and Saturation
Si, T= 6 430 K
vdrift E
Linear vdrift vthermal
107 cm / s

18
Drift Velocity: Constant Mobility
and Saturation

vdrift E
Constant
mobility low
electric field
mobility

Negative
differential
mobility
19
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

20
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

21
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

22
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

23
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

24
Mobility, Carrier Effective Mass
and Time Between Collisions

vdrift E

q n , p
n, p *
m n, p

25
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity:
Scattering

Scattering of electrons by an ionized impurity

26
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity:
Scattering

Double log plot of drift mobility vs temperature for n-type Ge and n-type
Si samples. Various donor concentrations for Si are shown. The upper right
inset is the simple theory for lattice limited mobility whereas the lower left
inset is the simple theory for impurity scattering limited mobility. 27
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

The variation of the drift mobility with dopant concentration

in Si for electrons and holes 28
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

Control questions:

What is the definition of carrier mobility?

What is drift velocity? saturation drift velocity?
What are the major carrier mobility limitations at a low
temperature and at room temperature?

29
Carrier Mobility & Drift Velocity

Summary, formulas and

important numbers

30
Table of Important Semiconductor
Properties

31
Basic Equations (selected)

32
Summary. Distribution Functions
& Densities of States.

33
Summary: Electron & Hole Concentration
in Intrinsic Semiconductor

Also known as mass action law (with EF in the

middle of the energy gap)

Eg
n p n N C NV exp
2
i
kT
Eg Eg E F
n N C NV exp N C NV exp
2kT kT

34
Summary. Electron & Hole
Concentration.

35
Summary. Carrier Drift Velocity.

36
 Complete data on major
semiconductors
http://www.ioffe.rssi.ru/SVA/NSM/Semicond/index.html

Other useful sites:

http://ece-www.colorado.edu/~bart/book/

http://jas.eng.buffalo.edu/

37