AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Formative Exam 2 Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 60 min..

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics
Spring 2013

Name: ID

Formula Sheet
3/2 1
2𝑚
𝑁𝑠 (𝐸) = 4𝜋 [ 2] 𝐸1/2 𝑓(𝐸) = 𝑛 = 𝑛𝑖 𝑒𝑥𝑝[ (𝐸𝐹 − 𝐸𝑖 )/𝑘𝑇] 𝑝 = 𝑛𝑖 𝑒𝑥𝑝[ (𝐸𝑖 − 𝐸𝐹 )/𝑘𝑇]
ℎ 1 + 𝑒 [(𝐸−𝐸𝐹)/𝑘𝑇]
3/2 3/2
2𝜋𝑚𝑛∗ 𝑘𝑇 2𝜋𝑚𝑝∗ 𝑘𝑇
𝑛 = 𝑁𝑐 𝑒𝑥𝑝[(𝐸𝐹 − 𝐸𝑐 )/𝑘𝑇] , 𝑁𝑐 = 2 [ ] 𝑝 = 𝑁𝑣 𝑒𝑥𝑝[(𝐸𝑣 − 𝐸𝐹 )/𝑘𝑇] , 𝑁𝑣 = 2 [ ]
ℎ2 ℎ2
1/2
𝑁𝐷 − 𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷 − 𝑁𝐴 2 2𝜋𝑘𝑇 3/2 𝐸𝑔
𝑛= + [( ) + 𝑛𝑖2 ] 𝑛𝑖 = 2 [ 2 ] (𝑚𝑛∗ 𝑚𝑝∗ )3/4 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [− ]
2 2 ℎ 2𝑘𝑇

1 ∗ 2 3 𝑙 𝑞𝑡𝑟
𝑚 𝑣𝑡ℎ = 𝑘𝑇 𝑣𝑡ℎ = 𝜇= 𝑣 = 𝜇ℰ
2 2 𝑡𝑟 𝑚∗

𝑑𝑛 𝑑𝑝 𝜎𝑡 = 𝜎𝑛 + 𝜎𝑝
𝑝𝑛 = 𝑛𝑖 2 𝐽𝑛 = 𝑞𝜇𝑛 𝑛ℰ + 𝑞𝐷𝑛 𝐽𝑃 = 𝑞𝜇𝑝 𝑝ℰ − 𝑞𝐷𝑝
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑞𝜇𝑛 𝑛 + 𝑞𝜇𝑝 𝑝

𝜇 𝑞 𝜕𝑝 1 𝜕𝐽𝑝 (𝑥) 𝜕𝑛 1 𝜕𝐽𝑛 (𝑥) −

𝑡
= =− + (𝐺𝑝 − 𝑅𝑝 ) = + (𝐺𝑛 − 𝑅𝑛 ) 𝑝𝑛 (𝑡) = 𝑝𝑛𝑜 + 𝜏𝑝 𝐺𝐿 𝑒 𝜏𝑝
𝐷 𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑡 𝑞 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝑞 𝜕𝑥

−
𝑥 𝑝𝑛 − 𝑝𝑛𝑜 1
𝑝𝑛 (𝑥) = 𝑝𝑛𝑜 + (𝑝𝑛 (0) − 𝑝𝑛𝑜 )𝑒 𝐿𝑝 𝑈𝑝 = & 𝜏𝑝 =
𝜏𝑝 𝛽𝑛𝑛𝑜

𝑑ℰ 𝜌 𝑘𝑇 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴
𝐿𝑝 = √𝐷𝑝 𝜏𝑝 = 𝑉𝑏𝑖 = ln 2 𝑁𝐴 𝑥𝑝𝑜 = 𝑁𝐷 𝑥𝑛𝑜
𝑑𝑥 𝜀 𝑞 𝑛𝑖
1⁄2
2𝜀𝑘𝑇 𝑁𝐷 + 𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴 𝑞 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴 𝑞𝑉
𝑤=[ 2 ( ) ln 2 ] |ℰ𝑜 | = 𝑤 𝐼 = 𝐼𝑜 (𝑒 𝑘𝑇 − 1)
𝑞 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴 𝑛𝑖 𝜀 𝑁𝐷 + 𝑁𝐴

𝐷𝑝 𝑛𝑖2 𝐷𝑛 𝑛𝑖2 𝑞𝑉 −
(𝑥−𝑥𝑛 )
𝐼𝑜 = 𝑞𝐴 [ + ] 𝑝𝑛 (𝑥) = 𝑝𝑛𝑜 + 𝑝𝑛𝑜 (𝑒 𝑘𝑇 − 1) 𝑒 𝐿𝑝
𝐿𝑝 𝑁𝐷 𝐿𝑛 𝑁𝐴
1⁄2
𝑑𝑄𝑗 𝐴 2𝑞𝜀 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴 𝑑𝑄𝑝 𝑑𝑄𝑛 𝑞 2 𝐴(𝐿𝑝 𝑝𝑛𝑜 + 𝐿𝑛 𝑛𝑝𝑜 ) 𝑞𝑉
𝐶𝑗 = = [ ( )] 𝐶𝑑 = + = 𝑒 𝑘𝑇
𝑑𝑉 2 (𝑉𝑏𝑖 − 𝑉) 𝑁𝐷 + 𝑁𝐴 𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉 𝑘𝑇

Some Useful Constants

Value Constant Value

−23
1.38 × 10 𝐽/𝐾
Boltzmann constant, 𝑘 −5
Electronic charge, 𝑞 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶
8.62 × 10 𝑒𝑉/𝐾
Permittivity of free
8.85 × 10−14 𝐹/𝑐𝑚 Electron mass 9.1 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔
space, 𝑜
Relative dielectric Relative dielectric
11.8 16
constant of Si, 𝑠𝑖 constant of Si, 𝐺𝑒
6.62 × 10−34 𝐽. 𝑠
𝑘𝑇/𝑞 at 𝑇 = 300 𝐾 0.0259 𝑉 Plank constant, ℎ
4.135 × 10−15 𝑒𝑉. 𝑠
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 30 min.

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics

Silicon, Gallium Arsenide and Germanium properties at 𝑻 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝑲

Used in density of states Used in conductivity
Materials 𝑬𝒈 (𝒆𝑽) −𝟑
𝒏𝒊 (𝒄𝒎 ) 𝑵𝒄 (𝒄𝒎 )−𝟑
𝑵𝒗 (𝒄𝒎 ) −𝟑 calculations calculations
𝒎∗𝒏 /𝒎𝒐 𝒎∗𝒑 /𝒎𝒐 𝒎∗𝒏 /𝒎𝒐 𝒎∗𝒑 /𝒎𝒐
𝑺𝒊 1.12 1010 2.8 × 1019 1.04 × 1019 1.08 0.56 0.26 0.386
6 17 18
𝑮𝒂𝑨𝒔 1.42 1.8 × 10 4.7 × 10 7.0 × 10 0.067 0.48 0.067 0.48
13 19 18
𝑮𝒆 0.66 2.4 × 10 1.04 × 10 6.0 × 10 0.55 0.37 0.12 0.37

Silicon at 300 K

silicon

T (K)
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 30 min.

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics

Answer all the following questions

Question (1): (3 Marks)

State whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F). You have to write the reason or
correct the false statements for your answers to be evaluated.

Statement
T or F If wrong, write the reason or the correction below the statement
number
With no illumination of light and no electric field applied, if the concentration of
electrons in a semiconductor decreases in the +ve x-direction, an electron diffusion
current will be in +ve x-direction.
1

For the same hole and electron concentration gradients (dn/dx = dp/dx) in a
semiconductor, electron diffusion current = hole diffusion current.

Mass action law np = ni2 is correct under steady state conditions.

Question (2): (5 Marks)

Choose the BEST answer in the following questions. Only one answer is allowed for a question. Show
your working of the numerical problems only.
No. Choice Question
The aside figure shows the energy band for a
compensated (multi-doped) semiconductor sample.
Which of the following statements is correct :
(a) The temperature of the sample is very high.
1 (b) The temperature of the sample is very low (near
zero K).
(c) The sample is illuminated or electrically biased.
(d) It is an n-type sample.
It is an p-type sample.
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 30 min.

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics

In a degenerate n-type semiconductor,

(a) Fermi level is 𝟑𝒌𝑻 above the intrinsic Fermi level.
(b) Fermi level is 𝑬𝑮 ⁄𝟒 below the conduction band edge.
2
(c) Fermi level is 𝟑𝒌𝑻 below the intrinsic Fermi level.
(d) Fermi level should be exact 𝟑𝒌𝑻 above the conduction band edge.
(e) Fermi level is at 𝟑𝒌𝑻 or less below the conduction band edge.
The total current in a semiconductor is constant and is composed of electron
diffusion current and hole drift current. Knowing that the hole concentration is
constant and equal to 1014 cm-3, the mobility of holes is 480 cm2/V.s, the diffusion
coefficient of electrons is 26 cm2/s. If the electron concentration is given by: 𝑛 =
𝑥
1014 exp (10−4 ) with x in cm and the electric field points in +𝑥 direction and is
equal to 103 V/cm at 𝑥 = 0. The value of the total current density in A/cm2 is:
(a) 11.8 (b) 18.6 (c) 28.7 (d) 34.2 (e) 3.52
Steps


If a charge density  is distributed as shown in the next
figure where -w/2

qax − w / 2  x  w / 2 and a is constant

x
w/2
 ( x) = 
0 x  − w / 2 and x  w / 2

The electric field in the region − w / 2  x  w / 2 is given by

qa  2 qa  2
(a) ( x) = x − ( w 2)  (b) ( x) = x + ( w 2) 
2 2

2   2  
qa 2 qa 2
(a) (c) ( x) =  x − w2  (d) ( x) =  x + w2 
2 2 
4 Steps
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 30 min.

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics

A silicon sample at 300 K and is uniformly doped with Nd = 1015cm-3. Within a

small region of the sample n = 1014 cm-3 and p = 104 cm-3. In this region

(a) Generation rate =recombination rate = 0

(b) Generation rate > recombination rate
(c) Generation rate < recombination rate
(d) Cannot tell from the given data
Explain:
5

Question (3) (12 Marks)

The aside figure presents an energy band diagram of silicon sample of length L maintained at 300 K.
Answer the following questions
1. Roughly sketch n and p versus x. [1 Mark]
2. Sketch the electric field () inside the semiconductor
as a function of x. [1 Mark]
3. Sketch the electrostatic potential (V) inside the
semiconductor as a function of x. [1 Mark]
4. The electron pictured at x = L on the diagram moves
back and forth between x = 0 and x = L without
changing its total energy. Sketch the electron’s
kinetic energy inside the semiconductor as a
function of x. [1 Mark]
5. Is the sample connected to external voltage source?
Explain how you arrived at your answer. [1 Mark]
6. What is the magnitude of the total current density
at x = L/2? [1 mark]
7. Make a rough sketch of the electron drift-current density (Jndrift) and the electron diffusion-current
density (Jndiff) inside the Si sample as a function of position. Be sure to graph the proper polarity of the
current densities at all points [2 Marks]
 AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Course Code: PHM122 Time allowed: 30 min.

Physics of Semiconductors and Dielectrics
Solution (3)
n p KE

1 4
ni

x
x
L/2 L
L/2 L


5.

L/2 L 6.

V 3
J 7

L/2 L
x

L/2 L