ECE3040B

Microelectronic Circuits
Test 1

Student Name:

1. Which of the following statements are correct and which are wrong
based on the quantum theory? (10 points)?

A. In a H atom, the electron orbits around the nucleus with a radius equal
to Bohr radius if the electron is in the ground state.

B. We never know where the electron is except when we conduct a

measurement and locate it.

C. The H atom can absorb photons that have some very specific
wavelengths but they can emit photons of any arbitrary wavelength.

D. There are infinite number of energy states inside the conduction band.

2. What kind of materials have the largest bandgap: semiconductors,

insulators or conductors (5 points)?

1
Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu
 3. The electron density in intrinsic Si is 1010cm-3 at room temperature.
What doping concentration results in Ef to be 10kT below Ei? Provide
the density and kind of doping (n or p) (10 points)

4. There are two pieces of Si. In one of them Nd=1016cm-3 (call it A) and in
the other one Nd=1017cm-3 (call it B). The conductivity of piece B is 4
times higher than that of piece A.

a. What is the ratio of the electron mobilities in pieces A and B?

(10 points)

b. What kind of scattering is dominant in these samples (lattice or

impurity), why? (5 points)

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu 2

 5. The band diagram in a piece of Si is shown here. The material is at room
temperature, the intrinsic carrier density is 1010cm-3 and the bandgap is
1.1eV.

A. Is this material at equilibrium (no current flowing)? Why? (5 points)

B. At x=5 µm, what is the probability of a state at the top of the vallance
being empty? (10 points)

C. In part B, can you use Boltzmann/Classical Approximation? Why?

(5 points)

D. Calculate hole densities at points x=0, x=5 µm and x=10µm (10

points)

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu 3

 E. Calculate electric field at points x=0, x=5 µm and x=10µm. (10
points)

F. Plot electrostatic potential assuming the voltage at x=0 is zero. (10

points)

G. Plot hole density versus x in log and linear scales. (10 points)

H. Where is the diffusion current density due to holes the largest (5

points)?

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu 4

 Formula that you might need.

−1 1 ∂ 2E(k) ε = −∇V
meff =
!2 ∂k 2 ε = 1 dEC =
1 dEV 1 dEi
=
q dx q dx q dx
1
f(E) = Jp,diff = −q Dp ∇p
1+ e(E−EF )/ kT
Jn,diff = q Dn ∇n
( E − EF ) > 3kT ⇒ f (E) ≈ e −(E − EF )/ kT

( EF − E ) > 3kT ⇒ f (E) ≈ 1 − e(E − EF )/ kT

kT=0.025 eV at T=300K

𝑞 = 1.6 × 10!"# 𝐶

n = ni e(EF −Ei )/kT

p = ni e(Ei −EF )/kT

n p = ni2
2
ND − NA ⎡N − NA ⎤ 2
n= + ⎢ D ⎥ + ni
2 ⎣ 2 ⎦
2
NA − ND ⎡N − ND ⎤ 2
p= + ⎢ A ⎥ + ni
2 ⎣ 2 ⎦

ND >> NA and ND >> ni : n = ND

p = ni2 / ND
NA >> ND and NA >> ni : p = NA
n = ni2 / NA

! !
Jp,drift = q p µ p ε
! !
Jn,drift = q n µ n ε
! ! ! !
[
Jdrift = Jn + Jp = q µ nn + µ pp ]ε
qτ
µ=
m*
1
ρ=
(
q µ nn + µ pp )
1
V=− (
E − Eref
q C
)

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu 5