Mobility with dopant concentration

Velocity Saturation

From free electron theory, electron moves under influence of electric field, collides, looses energy and move
again that leads to average velocity vd, such that
• Hot Electrons: Carriers gain much more energy than 3/2kT (zero field energy). These carriers are called
‘Hot carriers’ or ‘Hot electrons’ and suffers lots of scattering leading to velocity saturation.

• These can also generate optical phonon and loose their energy.

• Impact Ionisation or Avalanche Break down: At very very high electric field, these hot electrons can
also excite electrons from valence band to conduction band. This causes velocity to increase
enormously.
 Diffusion Current
• Arises due to difference in charge concentration at two places.

• Diffusion current is important for semiconductors because of low charge carrier density. In metals, it is
not cared about.

• Diffusion current density is proportional to charge gradient.

Relation between Energy diagram, V and Electric field
Case of graded dopant profile

Ec is not constant, there is an Internal Electric Field.

Diffusion constant and Mobility are related, which suggests that all scattering mechanisms which affect
‘mobility’ also affects ‘diffusion’.
This means even during diffusion, scattering plays important role.
 Carrier Generation and Recombination

Generation: Process by which electrons and holes are created.

Recombination: Process by which electrons and holes are annihilated.

At equilibrium: Net carrier concentration is independent of time in thermal equilibrium

Rate at which electrons and holes are generated= Rate at which they recombine

Thermal Generation:

Recombination:

Net change = 0
Carrier Generation Ways:

1. Photogeneration: electron-hole pair generation by light.

2. Phonon Generation: Under thermal excitation, lattice vibration increase,

giving rise to phonons. Bonds break down and electron hole pairs are
generated.

3. Impact Ionization: Energetic charge carriers create another charge

carriers.
 Recombination ways:

1. Radiative Recombination or Direct Recombination

2. Shockley Read Hall (SRH) recombination: Assisted through defects/traps

3. Auger Recombination: Three carriers are involved. No energy emitted as photon or phonon but captured by
third electron.
Excess Carrier Concentration:

Equilibrium concentration:

Excess carrier concentration:

Suppose excess carrier concentration is due to shining of light on semiconductor sample,

then at equilibrium:

Suppose, light is shined on semiconductor and then suddenly turned off, then excess carriers will decay
with time by Recombination. Time constant for decay is called ’Recombination time’ or ‘Carrier life time’
(. )
 Recombination Rate (per cm3 per sec)

Example: A Si bar, (NA = 1015 cm-3), exposed to light such that electron- hole pair are generated throughout
the volume at a rate of 1020 cm-3 s-1.
 More precisely, electron and holes are not in equilibrium.

Introducing Quasi- fermi levels:

• Considering electron and holes as two groups.

• Electrons and holes can go out of equilibrium very easily because they are loosely coupled to each other
with generation/recombination process, which is slow (Time constant ~ 1 micro-sec)

• However electrons and holes within themselves maintain equilibrium very easily by exchanging
positions and energy through thermal motion, high velocity or scattering (Time constant ~ 1 pico-sec)