Review of Semiconductor

Physics, PN Junction Diodes

and Resistors
 Semiconductor fundamentals
 Doping
 Pn junction
 The Diode Equation
 Zener diode
 LED
 Resistors
 What Is a Semiconductor?

•Many materials, such as most metals, allow electrical current to

flow through them
•These are known as conductors
•Materials that do not allow electrical current to flow through
them are called insulators
•Pure silicon, the base material of most transistors, is considered
a semiconductor because its conductivity can be modulated by
the introduction of impurities
 Semiconductors
 A material whose properties are such that it is not quite a
conductor, not quite an insulator
 Some common semiconductors
– elemental
» Si - Silicon (most common)
» Ge - Germanium
– compound
» GaAs - Gallium arsenide
» GaP - Gallium phosphide
» AlAs - Aluminum arsenide
» AlP - Aluminum phosphide
» InP - Indium Phosphide
 Nature of Intrinsic Silicon
 Silicon that is free of doping impurities is called
intrinsic
 Silicon has a valence of 4 and forms covalent
bonds with four other neighboring silicon atoms
 Semiconductor Crystalline Structure
 Semiconductors have a regular
crystalline structure
– for monocrystal, extends
through entire structure
– for polycrystal, structure is
interrupted at irregular
boundaries
 Monocrystal has uniform 3-
dimensional structure
 Atoms occupy fixed positions
relative to one another, but
are in constant vibration about
equilibrium
 Semiconductor Crystalline Structure
 Silicon atoms have 4
electrons in outer shell
– inner electrons are very
closely bound to atom
 These electrons are shared
with neighbor atoms on
both sides to “fill” the shell
– resulting structure is
very stable
– electrons are fairly
tightly bound
» no “loose” electrons
– at room temperature, if
battery applied, very
little electric current
flows
Insulators, Semiconductors, and Metals
 This separation of the valence and conduction bands determines
the electrical properties of the material
 Insulators have a large energy gap
– electrons can’t jump from valence to conduction bands
– no current flows
 Conductors (metals) have a very small (or nonexistent) energy gap
– electrons easily jump to conduction bands due to thermal
excitation
– current flows easily
 Semiconductors have a moderate energy gap
– only a few electrons can jump to the conduction band
» leaving “holes”
– only a little current can flow
Insulators, Semiconductors, and Metals
(continued)

Conduction
Band

Valence
Band

Conductor Semiconductor Insulator

 Hole - Electron Pairs
 Sometimes thermal energy is enough to cause an electron to
jump from the valence band to the conduction band
– produces a hole - electron pair
 Electrons also “fall” back out of the conduction band into the
valence band, combining with a hole

pair elimination pair creation

hole electron
 Improving Conduction by Doping
 To make semiconductors better conductors, add impurities
(dopants) to contribute extra electrons or extra holes
– elements with 5 outer electrons contribute an extra electron to
the lattice (donor dopant)
– elements with 3 outer electrons accept an electron from the
silicon (acceptor dopant)
 Improving Conduction by Doping
 Phosphorus and arsenic are
(cont.)
donor dopants
– if phosphorus is
introduced into the silicon
lattice, there is an extra
electron “free” to move
around and contribute to
electric current
» very loosely bound to
atom and can easily jump
to conduction band
– produces n type silicon
» sometimes use + symbol
to indicate heavier
doping, so n+ silicon
– phosphorus becomes
positive ion after giving up
electron
 Improving Conduction by Doping
(cont.)
 Boron has 3 electrons in its outer
shell, so it contributes a hole if it
displaces a silicon atom
– boron is an acceptor dopant
– yields p type silicon
– boron becomes negative ion
after accepting an electron
 Energy-band Diagram
 A very important concept in the study of semiconductors is the
energy-band diagram
 It is used to represent the range of energy a valence electron can
have
 For semiconductors the electrons can have any one value of a
continuous range of energy levels while they occupy the valence
shell of the atom
– That band of energy levels is called the valence band
 Within the same valence shell, but at a slightly higher energy
level, is yet another band of continuously variable, allowed energy
levels
– This is the conduction band
 Band Gap
 Between the valence and the conduction band is a range of energy
levels where there are no allowed states for an electron
 This is the band gap E G
 In silicon at room temperature [in electron volts]: E G  11
. eV
 Electron volt is an atomic measurement unit, 1 eV energy is
necessary to decrease of the potential of the electron with 1 V.

1eV  1.602  10 19 joule

 Impurities
 Silicon crystal in pure form is
good insulator - all electrons are
bonded to silicon atom
 Replacement of Si atoms can alter
electrical properties of
semiconductor
 Group number - indicates number
of electrons in valence level (Si -
Group IV)
 P-N Junction

 Also known as a diode

 One of the basics of semiconductor technology -
 Created by placing n-type and p-type material in close
contact
 Diffusion - mobile charges (holes) in p-type combine with
mobile charges (electrons) in n-type
 P-N Junction
 Region of charges left behind (dopants fixed in crystal
lattice)
– Group III in p-type (one less proton than Si- negative
charge)
– Group IV in n-type (one more proton than Si - positive
charge)
 Region is totally depleted of mobile charges - “depletion
region”
– Electric field forms due to fixed charges in the depletion
region
– Depletion region has high resistance due to lack of mobile
charges
THE P-N JUNCTION
 The Junction

The “potential” or voltage across

the silicon changes in the depletion
region and goes from + in the n
region to – in the p region
 THINK OF THE
Biasing the P-N Diode DIODE AS A
SWITCH

Forward Bias Reverse Bias

Applies - voltage Applies + voltage to
to the n region n region and –
and + voltage to voltage to p region
the p region
NO CURRENT
CURRENT!
 P-N Junction – Reverse Bias
 positive voltage placed on n-type material
 electrons in n-type move closer to positive terminal, holes
in p-type move closer to negative terminal
 width of depletion region increases
 allowed current is essentially zero (small “drift” current)
 P-N Junction – Forward Bias
 positive voltage placed on p-type material
 holes in p-type move away from positive terminal, electrons in n-
type move further from negative terminal
 depletion region becomes smaller - resistance of device decreases
 voltage increased until critical voltage is reached, depletion region
disappears, current can flow freely
P-N Junction - V-I characteristics

Voltage-Current relationship for a p-n junction (diode)

 Current-Voltage Characteristics

THE IDEAL DIODE

Positive voltage yields

finite current
Negative voltage yields REAL DIODE
zero current
 LED

 Light emitting diode, made from GaAs

– VF=1.6 V

– IF >= 6 mA
THANK YOU