Final Exam (2013 Spring Semester)

1. At 573K ZnS has a bandgap 3.78 eV and ZnSe 2.82 eV. The direct gap
semiconductor alloy ZnSc
r
S
1 - r
has the variable bandgap given by
L
q
(r) L
q
(ZnSc ) -r[L
q
(ZnS) - L
q
(ZnSc )[
If the absorption coefficients are 1.0 10

c:
- 1
and 1.8 10

c:
- 1
at the photon
energies 3.45 eV and 3.50 eV, respectively, what is the composition r of the
alloy?
2. Although Si is not an efficient light emitter, it can be used as a photon
detector as efficient as GaAs. Explain why.
3. Estimate the width of the quantum well in
(a) GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well laser emitting at 740 nm
(b) GaAs/AlGaAs intersubband quantum well laser operating on the electron
21 transition and emitting at 10.6 m.
For GaAs you may take L
q
1.42 cV. :
c
* 0.007:
0
. :
//
* 0.:
0
. Assume that
the band gap of AlGaAs is much larger than that of GaAs.
4. Estimate the (Wannier) exciton binding energy of Cn
2
O from the
absorption spectrum shown below:
(n denotes the quantum number for the exciton energy levels.)
Solutions
1. Since it is a direct gap semiconductor, c(h.) _

h. - L
q
. Thus,

c(8.0 cV)
c(8.4 cV)

1.8 10

1.0 10

8.0 - L
q
8.4 - L
q
. J/nc. L
q
8.42708 cV.
If the band gap value is inserted in L
q
(r) L
q
(ZnSc ) -r[L
q
(ZnS) - L
q
(ZnSc )[ ,
L
q
(r) 8.42708 2.82 -r(8.78 - 2.82)
r 0.088
2. Si is an indirect gap semiconductor. The photoemission process involves
electron+photon+phonona three-body process, which makes it a poor emitter.
On the other hand, photon absorption occurs at any energy, as long as the
energy exceeds the band gap. Thus, it can be used as a photodetector.
3. (a) The band-to-band transition energy is given by
h. L
q
-L
c1
-L
//1
L
q
-

2jd
2
h
2

2
. (1)
where

j
1

:
c
*
1
-

:
//
*
1

0.007:
0
1
-

0.:
0
1
. :
0
9.109 10
- 81
/q

j
1
1.8580910
31
kg. 740 nm corresponds to the energy 2.6843410
-19
J
Also 1.42 eV = 2.2748410
-19
J, and h = 6.62610
-34
J.s.
If we put these values in (1), we get d = 4.9901710
-9
m, or 4.99nm.
(b) The energy difference of the intersubband transition n: is given by
.L

8:
c
*d
2
:
2
/
2
-

8:
c
*d
2
n
2
/
2
The wavelength 10.6j: corresponds to the energy 1.2415110
-19
J. Thus,
.L 1.2411 10
- 19
J

8:
c
*d
2
,1
2
- 2
2
, /
2
. Therefore, d 1.19981 10
- 8
m = 1.2nm.
4. In the presence of excitons the energy levels are given by
L
n
L
q
-L(n). where L(n) -

n
2
I
r
.
From the figure we have absorption peaks corresponding to the transitions
from the valence band (E = 0) to L
2
with energy L
2
- 0 2.140 cV L
q
- L(2),
and to L
8
with energy L
8
- 0 2.18 cV L
q
- L(8), etc. Lets use the lowest
two:
L
2
- L
8
(2.140 - 2.18) cV L(2) - L(8) - I
r
(

2
2
1
-

8
2
1
)
. So. I
r
0.0980 cV
Thus, the exciton binding energy is L(1)

1
2
I
r

I
r
98.0 :cV