Electronic Devices and Circuits

(EE 431/L)

Kaye Bernadeth C. Baron

Course Coverage
1. Atomic Theory of Materials
○ Semiconductor Theory
2. Semiconductor Diodes
3. Diode Applications
4. Testing Diodes
5. Bipolar Junction Transistor
6. BJT DC Biasing
7. Field Effect Transistor
8. FET Biasing
 Atomic Theory of Materials
► Electrical Classification of Material

Conductor Insulator Semiconductor

Conductor and Insulator

 Conductor Insulator
- Allow electrical current to flow easily - Will not Allow electrical current to flow
easily
- Material with less than 4 - Material with more than 4 valence
valence electrons electrons

Semiconductor
 Semiconductor
- Has a characteristics in between conductor and insulator

Elemental
Si & Ge

Compound
GaAs
AlAs
- With exactly four valence electrons GaP

Review of Basic Atomic Model

 ► Review of Basic Atomic Model

Atoms are compromised of electrons,

neutrons and protons

Electrons are found orbiting the nucleus

of an atom at specific intervals, based
upon their energy levels

The outermost orbit is the valence orbit

Electrons in the valence orbit is called

valence electrons

Electrical Classification of Material

► Energy Levels

Valence Band - electrons are the furthest

from the nucleus and have higher energy
levels than electrons in lower orbits

Conduction Band - the region beyond

the valence band .
- in this band
electrons are easily made into free
electrons.
► Energy Gap (Eg) Comparison

FERMI ENERGY –
the total chemical
potential for electrons
Semiconductor Theory

Silicon(Si), germanium(Ge) and

gallium arsenide (GaAs) are the
primary materials used in
semiconductor devices

► Intrinsic Semiconductor
• Si and Ge are elements and are intrinsic semiconductor.
• In pure form, Si and Ge do not exhibit the characteristics
needed for practical solid-state devices
VALENCE is used to indicate that the potential (ionization potential)
required to remove any of these electrons from the atomic structure is
significantly lower than that required for any other electron in the
structure.

→ Tetravalent atoms that have four valence electrons

→ Trivalent atoms that have three valence electrons
→ Pentavalent atoms that have five valence electrons
► Tetravalent
Si and Ge have four valence band electrons, and so they are referred to as
tetravalent atoms.

→ Tetravalent atoms such as Si, GaAs and Ge bond together to form a

crystal or crystal lattice.

→ Because of the crystalline structure of semiconductor materials, valence

electrons are shared between atoms.
 → This sharing of valence electrons is called covalent bonding.
Covalent bonding makes it more difficult for materials to move their
electrons into the conduction band.

► Electron Distribution
→ As more energy is applied to semiconductor, more electrons will move
into the conduction band and current will flow more easily through the
material.

→ Therefore, the resistance of intrinsic semiconductor materials decreases

with increasing temperature.

Negative Temperature Coefficient - the more heat the more

electrons are free. Temperature goes up and resistance goes down.
► Semiconductor Doping
→ Impurities are added to intrinsic semiconductor materials to improve
the electrical properties of the material.

→ This process is referred to as DOPING and the resulting material is

called an EXTRINSIC semiconductor.

→ There are two major classifications of DOPING material.

1. Trivalent – gallium, boron, indium
2. Pentavalent – phosphorus, antimony, arsenic

→ There are two EXTRINSIC materials of immeasurable immeasurable to

semiconductor device fabrication.
1. N-type materials
2. P-type materials
► Trivalent Doping

→ By adding a trivalent material to the

crystal structure, holes are introduced
and provide a mechanism for conduction

→ Because trivalent materials can accept

an additional electron, they are called
acceptor atoms.

→ Silicon is the most widely used

semiconductor material. A silicon crystal
doped with trivalent material is called p
– type material
► Pentavalent Doping

→ Pentavalent materials donate

electrons, and therefore are called donor
atoms

→ Doping silicon with pentavalent

material results in extra electrons being
available, improving the conduction
characteristics

→ Once a silicon crystal has been doped with

pentavalent materials, it is called n-type
semiconductor material.
► Energy Levels

N-type Materials P-type Materials

Semiconductor Diodes

► Review

→ Semiconductors (pure) have equal numbers of free electrons and holes

→ P-type materials (doped with trivalent materials) will always have more
holes than electrons in the conduction band

→ N-type material (doped with pentavalent materials) will always have

more free electrons in the conduction band than holes
Semiconductor Diode

→ is created by simply joining n-type and a p-type material together.

→ When p-type material meets n-type material within a single silicon

crystal, a pn junction is formed
► Unbiased Junction

→ no applied biased (V = 0 V)

→ After a time, the region will be depleted of charge carriers because of the
migration of electrons and holes
► Unbiased Junction

→ This leaves an area known as depletion region in the pn junction

→ an Electric Field is also created in depletion region because of the

movement of holes and electrons (n-type to p type region)
→ the movement of the electrons and holes in the space region gives
rise to Diffusion Current.

→ In silicon, the potential is 0.6-0.7 V; in germanium, it is 0.2-0.3V

► Forward Biased Junction

→ An external source can either oppose or aid the barrier potential

→ If the positive side of the

voltage is connected to the p-
type material, and the
negative side to the n-type
material, then the junction is
said to be forward biased
► In a forward biased junction, the following conditions exist:

→ Forward bias overcomes barrier potential.

• The electrostatic field created the barrier potential and stopped electron migration
• A voltage of 0.7 will overcome the barrier.

→ Forward bias narrows the depletion region.

• FB forces the majority carriers in both materials towards each other thus narrowing
the depletion region

→ There is a maximum current flow with forward bias.

• The power supply provides an abundance of free electrons and overcomes the
barrier potential.
• When forward biased the pn junction resembles as short circuit.
• The current flows in the circuit is called the DRIFT CURRENT
► Reversed Biased Junction
→ Reversed bias occurs when
the negative source is
connected to the p-type
material and the positive
source is connected to the n-
type material

→ Reversed bias strengthens

the barrier potential

→ Reversed bias widens the

depletion region
► In a reversed biased junction, the following conditions exist:

→ A reversed biased junction has zero current flow (ideally).

→ Reverse current is temperature dependent.

- The higher the temperature, the greater the probability for reverse current

→ If reverse bias is increased enough, the reverse current increases dramatically

causing the pn junction to breakdown.
- This called junction breakdown. The voltage required to reach this point is the reverse
breakdown voltage (RBV).
- RBV is usually specified on data sheets

→ As the breakdown occurs, avalanche may occur and destroy the device if
uncontrolled