EE733

Solid State Devices

S. Lodha
Q. Mech and Energy band theory
Supplementary Slides

Acknowledgements:
Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals, R. Pierret, Purdue University
 Finite potential well

Solve TISE in the three regions, x<0, 0<x<a, x>a with

appropriate boundary conditions
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 Finite potential well (contd.)

Four simultaneous eqns

Non-closed form solution for E
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 Graphical solution

Shallow well (0a< ) has only one solution of E=0.87U0

Similarly, <0a<2 has two solutions, and so on
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 Finite potential well solution

2 En (finite) < En (infinite)

Deeper wells have increasing number of energy levels

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 Electrons in a crystal

Perfect crystal (no defects, no impurities)

Periodic potential
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 Kronig-Penney Model

-b<x<a is a unit cell repeated periodically

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 Kronig-Penney Soln

Setup TISE in the two regions

Setup boundary conditions based on continuity and
periodicity (Blochs theorem)
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 Kronig-Penney Soln (contd.)

Four simultaneous equations

n-homogenous eqns in n-unknowns will have a non-
trivial soln if the determinant=0
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 Kronig-Penney Soln (contd.)
Using

Defining Such that

LHS is f(E) and RHS is f(k)

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 Kronig-Penney solution
Energy bands Energy gaps

Assuming a=b, 0a=

Energies () for which f() lies between -1 and +1 are allowed energies
Allowed energy bands and band gaps

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 Relative to crystal potential

Energy bands and gaps relative to the crystal

potential

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 Reduced zone E-k diagram

Allowed k values in the

range of 2/(a+b)
All unique E-k solutions
dE/dk=0 at k=0 and cell
boundaries
True for real crystals also

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 Extended zone E-k diagram

Free particle perturbed by crystal potential

Different Brillouin zones
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 3-D Band Theory

identifies zone center (k=0)

X shows zone end along <100> direction
L shows zone end along <111> direction

Brillouin zone is a volume, k is a 3-d vector

First zone for materials in diamond (Si, Ge) or zinc
blende (GaAs) lattice
octahedron truncated at {100} planes 2/a from zone
center (k=0)
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 E-k diagrams

Plot only for +k along <100> and <111>

directions
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 GaAs E-k diagram (detail)

Direct band-gap semiconductor

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 Constant energy surfaces (k-space)

Constant energy surfaces (all allowed k-values) for E=Ec in Ge, Si, GaAs
Ge E=Ec along 8 equivalent <111> directions
Si E=Ec along 6 equivalent <100> directions
GaAs E=Ec at k=0, one constant energy surface
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 Constant energy surface (Ge,Si)

Eight L valleys of Ge
Ge conduction band minima occurs right at zone boundary along
[111]
Half of the Ge surfaces are in the first Brillouin zone

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Effective mass (cyclotron resonance data)

Note that ml>mt for both Ge and Si

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 Band gap (vs T)

Eg decreases with
increasing T

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 Problem 1

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 Problem 2

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 Problem 3

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 Problem 4

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