P-N Junction

1. As a rectifier or diode

2. Its an active device for ICs

3. Used in LEDs, solar cells, lasers, photodiodes etc.

4. Types:
Homojunction (Between same semiconductors, such as between n and p – type Si)

Heterojunction (between two dissimilar semiconductor materials)

Schottky Junction (Between Metal and semiconductors)

 P-N Homojunction:
• P and N- side are uniformly doped
• Abrupt Junction
• Potential difference between and n and p-type junction is created.

• Drift current is because of minority carriers movement under potential difference

• At Equilibrium,

Fermi level should be constant across distances or Fermi level should line up at equilibrium

(It can have analogy wrt flow of water from one container to another)
Band-bending

Fermi-level got aligned on

creating junction
Space Charge Width:
Example:
Concentration Profile
At zero bias (V=0),

Suppose on p-side, Equilibrium concentration of holes= ppo

Equilibrium concentration of electrons= npo

on n-side, Equilibrium concentration of holes= pno

Equilibrium concentration of electrons= nno
P-n Junction under bias

1. Forward Bias:

Forward Bias

V= Vext in forward bias

V=0
With forward bias , barrier reduces and more
Initially electrons in n-region and holes in p- electrons/holes can move to the other side.
region were held by the barrier created
2. Reverse Bias:

Reverse Bias

V=0 V= Vext in Reverse bias

Initially electrons in n-region and holes in p- With reverse bias , barrier increases and less
region were held by the barrier created electrons/holes can move to the other side.
Effect of forward/reverse bias on space charge width (W):

W decreases in Forward bias

( Near the junction, More Ionised impurity atoms become neutral, which
means more ND+ converting to ND or more NA- converting to NA)

W increases in Reverse bias

( Near the junction, More impurity atoms become ionised, which means
more ND converting to ND+ or more NA converting to NA- )
Charge injection under Forward bias:

Note: electrons diffuse from n to p- side and Holes diffuse from p to n- side
è Minority carrier injection