PHYSICS AND MODELING OF

MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES
MEL G631
Lecture -6
25-08-2023
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Temperature dependence of carrier
concentrations

Intrinsic carrier concentration for Ge, Si, and GaAs as a function of inverse
temperature. The room temperature values are marked for reference.
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Compensation and space charge neutrality
in an n-type semiconductor

Figure 3—19
2023-08-25 Compensation in an n-type semiconductor (N d > N a ).

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Compensation and space charge neutrality
in an n-type semiconductor

no → electrons
no= ni = po po → holes
po + N+d = no + N-a N+d → donor ions
N-a → acceptor ions

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Compensation and space charge neutrality
in an n-type semiconductor

𝑛𝑖2
𝑝=
𝑛
𝑁𝑑+ + 𝑝 = 𝑁𝑎− + 𝑛
𝑛 − 𝑝 = 𝑁𝑑+ − 𝑁𝑎−
𝑛𝑖2
𝑛− = 𝑁𝑑+ − 𝑁𝑎−
𝑛
𝑛2− 𝑁𝑑+ − 𝑁𝑎− 𝑛 − 𝑛𝑖2 = 0 ;under the condition of
complete ionisation 𝑁𝑑+ = 𝑁𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑎− = 𝑁𝑎
1ൗ
2 2
𝑁𝑑 − 𝑁𝑎 𝑁𝑑 − 𝑁𝑎
or n = + + 𝑛𝑖2
2 2
𝑛𝑖2 𝑛𝑖2
If 𝑁𝑑 > 𝑁𝑎 then n ≈ (𝑁𝑑 − 𝑁𝑎 ) and 𝑝 = =
𝑛 (𝑁𝑑 − 𝑁𝑎 )
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Fermi level positioning in Si at 300K as a
function of doping concentration.

EF donor doped

EF acceptor doped

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Degenerate and non-Degenerate Semiconductor

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 Electron Statistics

- Fermi-Dirac statistics for electrons in solid

- Distribution of electrons over a range of allowed energy levels at thermal
equilibrium = Fermi-Dirac Distribution Function

At E = EF, f(E=EF) = ½ Implying that an energy state at the Fermi level has a
probability of ½ of being occupied by an electron.

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 Electron Statistics

- Fermi-Dirac statistics for electrons in solid

- Distribution of electrons over a range of allowed energy levels at thermal
equilibrium = Fermi-Dirac Distribution Function

At E = EF, f(E=EF) = ½ Implying that an energy state at the Fermi level has a
probability of ½ of being occupied by an electron.

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Fermi-Dirac distribution function

1 At 0K : Every available states below

f (E) = EF are filled with electrons, and all
1 + e ( E − E F ) / kT
At 0 K states above EF are empty.
1
if E  E F : f ( E ) = =1
1 + e −
1
if E  E F : f ( E ) = =0
1 + e

f(EF+E) = [ 1-f(EF- E) ]

Figure 3—14 The Fermi-Dirac distribution function.

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Fermi-Dirac Distribution in
Semiconductors

The Fermi distribution function applied to semiconductors:

(a) intrinsic material; (b) n-type material; (c) p-type material.

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Electron and Hole Concentrations (n0, p0)
at Thermal Equilibrium

If density of states = N(E)

Probability of occupancy = f(E),
Then the conc. of the electrons in the conduction is :


n0 = 
EC
f ( E ) N ( E )dE

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Electron and Hole Concentrations (n0,
p0) at Thermal Equilibrium

• N(E) increases with E ( N(E)  E)

• while the Fermi function f(E) becomes extremely small for

large E.

• f(E)N(E) decreases rapidly above EC so that very few

electrons can occupy energy states far above the
conduction band edge.

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Electron and Hole Concentrations
(n0, p0) at Thermal Equilibrium

Effective density of states (NC): when all of the distributed electron

states in C.B. can be represented by an effective density of states (NC)
located at C.B. edge (EC).

n0 = N C f ( E C )

Assume that EC –EF  ~3 kT where kT = 0.026 eV at room temp.

1
f ( EC ) =  e −( EC − EF ) / kT
1 + e ( EC − EF ) / kT
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 3/ 2
−( EC − EF ) / kT  2m n* kT 
n0 = N C f ( EC ) = N C e where N C = 2 2

 h 

Similarly, concentration of holes in V.B. will be :

p0 = N V [1 − f ( EV )]
1
[1 − f ( EV )] = 1 − ( EV − E F ) / kT
1+ e
− ( E F − EV ) / kT
e  2m kT 
* 3/ 2
− ( E F − EV ) / kT
p0 = NV [1 − f ( EV )] = N V e N V = 2
 h 2
p


 

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 Schematic Band Diagram

Schematic band diagram, density of states, Fermi–Dirac distribution, and the carrier
concentrations for (a) intrinsic, (b) n-type, and (c) p-type semiconductors
at thermal equilibrium.
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 • Recall these two equations :

n0 = N C f ( EC ) = N C e −( EC − EF ) / kT
p0 = NV [1 − f ( EV )] = N V e −( EF − EV ) / kT
Intrinsic electron and hole concentrations where almost EF = Ei :

pi = NV e − ( Ei − EV ) / kT ni = N C e −( EC − Ei ) / kT

n0 p0 = ( N C e − ( EC − EF ) / kT )( NV e − ( EF − EV ) / kT ) =
−( EC − EV ) / kT − E g / kT
N C NV e = N C NV e

ni pi = ( N C e −( EC − Ei ) / kT )( N V e −( Ei − EV ) / kT ) =
−( EC − EV ) / kT − E g / kT
N C NV e = N C NV e
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Thus, intrinsic electron and hole concentrations are equal since the carriers are created
in pairs : ni = pi :
Thus, intrinsic concentration : − E / 2 kT
ni = N C N V e g

Also, n0 p0 = ni 2

Note: ni of Si at RT = 1.5 x 1010 cm-3 & EC – Ei = Eg/2 if NC = NV

Two convenient expressions :
− ( E C −E F ) / kT − ( EC −Ei ) / kT ( E F −Ei ) / kT ( E F −Ei ) / kT
n 0 = NCe = NCe e = nie
Thus,
− ( E F −E V ) / kT − ( Ei −E V ) / kT ( Ei −E F ) / kT ( Ei −E F ) / kT
p0 = N V e = NVe e = nie
n0 = ni e ( EF − Ei ) / kT
p0 = ni e ( Ei − EF ) / kT

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Thank You

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