Exercises Problems Answers Chapter 4

TYU 4.1 Calculate the thermal equilibrium electron and hole concentration in silicon at T = 300 K for the case when
the Fermi energy level is 0.22 eV below the conduction-band energy Ec. The value of Eg is given in Appendix B.4.
(Eg =1.12eV).

TYU 4.2 Determine the thermal equilibrium electron and hole concentration in GaAs at T = 300 K for the case
when the Fermi energy level is 0.30 eV above the valence-band energy Ev. The value of Eg is given in Appendix
B.4. (Eg =1.42eV).

Problem 4.1 Calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration, ni, at T = 200, 400, and 600 K for (a) silicon, (b)
germanium, and (c) gallium arsenide.

Problem 4.10 Given the effective masses of electrons and holes in silicon, germanium, and gallium
arsenide, calculate the position of the intrinsic Fermi energy level with respect to the center of the bandgap for each
semiconductor at T = 300 K.

TYU 4.9 Determine the fraction of total holes still in the acceptor states in silicon at T = 300 K for a boron impurity
-3
concentration of Na = 1017 cm .
-3
TYU 4.10 Consider silicon with a phosphorus impurity concentration of Nd = 1015 cm . Determine the percent of
ionized phosphorus atoms at (a) T = 100 K, (b) T = 200 K, (c) T = 300 K, and (d) T = 400 K.

-3
TYU 4.11 Consider a compensated GaAs semiconductor at T = 300 K doped at Nd = 5×1015 cm and Na = 2×1016
-3
cm . Calculate the thermal equilibrium electron and hole concentrations.
-3
TYU 4.12 Silicon is doped at Nd = 1015 cm and Na = 0. (a) Plot the concentration of electrons versus temperature
over the range 300 ≤T ≤600 K. (b) Calculate the temperature at which the electron concentration is equal to 1.1×1015
cm-3.

TYU 4.14 Determine the position of the Fermi level with respect to the valence-band energy in p-type GaAs at T =
300 K. The doping concentrations are Na = 5×1016 cm-3 and Nd = 4×1015 cm-3.

TYU 4.15 Calculate the position of the Fermi energy level in n-type silicon at T = 300 K with respect to the intrinsic
Fermi energy level. The doping concentrations are Nd =2×1017 cm-3 and Na = 3×1016 cm-3.
Exercise Solutions
TYU 4.1

 − (E c − E F ) 
n o = N c exp  
 kT 

 − 0.22 
= 2.8 × 1019 exp 
 0.0259 

= 5.73 × 1015 cm −3

Now

E F − Eυ = 1.12 − 0.22 = 0.90 eV

 − ( E F − Eυ ) 
p o = N υ exp  
 kT 

 − 0.90 
= 1.04 × 1019 exp 
 0.0259 

= 8.43 × 10 3 cm −3

TYU 4.2

 − 0.30 
p o = 7.0 × 1018 exp 
 0.0259 

= 6.53 × 1013 cm −3

Now

E c − E F = 1.42 − 0.30 = 1.12 eV

 − 1.12 
n o = 4.7 × 1017 exp 
 0.0259 

= 0.0779 cm −3
4.1

 − Eg 
n i2 = N c N υ exp 

 kT 

 T 
3
 − Eg 
= N cO N υO   exp 

 300   kT 

where N cO and N υO are the values at 300 K.

(a) Silicon

T (K) kT (eV) n i (cm −3 )

200 0.01727 7.68 × 10 4

400 0.03453 2.38 × 1012

600 0.0518 9.74 × 1014

(b) Germanium (c) GaAs

T (K) n i (cm −3 ) n i (cm −3 )

200 2.16 × 1010 1.38

400 8.60 × 1014 3.28 × 10 9

600 3.82 × 1016 5.72 × 1012

4.10

3  m *p 
E Fi − E midgap = kT ln * 
4  mn 
 

Silicon: m *p = 0.56m o , m n* = 1.08m o

E Fi − E midgap = −0.0128 eV

Germanium: m *p = 0.37m o , m n* = 0.55m o

E Fi − E midgap = −0.0077 eV

Gallium Arsenide: m *p = 0.48m o ,

m n* = 0.067 m o

E Fi − E midgap = +0.0382 eV

TYU 4.9

pa 1
=
po + pa N  − ( E a − Eυ ) 
1 + υ exp  
4N a  kT 

1
=
1.04 × 10 19
 − 0.045 
1+ exp 
( )
4 1017  0.0259 

or

pa
= 0.179
po + pa

TYU 4.10

We have

( )
3/ 2
 T 
N c = 2.8 × 1019  
 300 
For T = 100 K, N c = 5.389 × 1018 cm −3

T = 200 K, N c = 1.524 × 1019 cm −3

T = 300 K, N c = 2.8 × 1019 cm −3

T = 400 K, N c = 4.311× 1019 cm −3

 T 
kT = (0.0259 ) 
 300 

For T = 100 K, kT = 0.008633 eV

T = 200 K, kT = 0.01727 eV

T = 300 K, kT = 0.0259 eV

T = 400 K, kT = 0.03453 eV

Fraction of ionized impurity atoms

nd
= 1−
no + nd

(a) For T = 100 K,

nd 1
=
no + nd Nc  − (E c − E d ) 
1+ exp  
2N d  kT 

1
=
5.389 × 10 18
 − 0.045 
1+ exp 
( )
2 1015  0.008633 

= 0.0638

Now, percentage ionized atoms

= (1 − 0.0638)× 100 = 93.62 %

(b) For T = 200 K,

nd 1
=
no + nd N  − (E c − E d ) 
1 + c exp  
2N d  kT 
 1
=
1.524 × 10 19
 − 0.045 
1+ exp 
( )
2 1015  0.01727 

= 0.001774

Now, percentage ionized atoms

= (1 − 0.001774 )× 100 = 99.82 %

(c) For T = 300 K,

nd 1
=
no + nd N  − (E c − E d ) 
1 + c exp  
2N d  kT 

1
=
2.8 × 1019  − 0.045 
1+ exp 
( )
2 10 15
 0.0259 

= 0.000406

Now, percentage ionized atoms

= (1 − 0.000406 )× 100 = 99.96 %

(d) For T = 400 K,

nd 1
=
no + nd Nc  − (E c − E d ) 
1+ exp  
2N d  kT 

1
=
4.311× 10 19
 − 0.045 
1+ exp 
( )
2 1015  0.03453 

= 0.000171

Now, percentage ionized atoms

= (1 − 0.000171)× 100 = 99.98 %

TYU 4.11

p o = N a − N d = 2 × 1016 − 5 × 1015

= 1.5 × 1016 cm −3

Then

no =
n i2
=
( )
1.8 × 10 6
2

po 1.5 × 1016

= 2.16 × 10 −4 cm −3

TYU 4.12

2
Nd N 
(b) n = +  d  + n i2
2  2 

Then

1.1× 1015 = 5 × 1014 + (5 ×10 )

14 2
+ n i2

which yields

n i2 = 1.1× 10 29

Now

 − Eg 
n i2 = N c N υ exp 

 kT 

( )( )
3
 T 
1.1× 10 29 = 2.8 × 1019 1.04 × 1019  
 300 

 − 1.12 
× exp  
 (0.0259 )(T 300 ) 

By trial and error,

T ≅ 552 K

_______________________________________
TYU 4.14

Answer: EF-Ea = 0.130eV

TYU 4.15

Answer: EF-EFi = 0.421eV