Semiconductor Devices

EE 305
 Chapter 8
The pn Junction Current
 PN JUNCTION CURRENT
Qualitative Description of Charge Flow in a pn Junction

A pn junction and its associated energy-band diagram

zero bias reverse bias forward bias

 Qualitative Derivation

Majority
carriers

Majority
carriers
 Current Flow in a pn Junction Diode

◼ When a forward bias (VA > 0) is applied, the potential barrier to diffusion
across the junction is reduced.
◼ Minority carriers are “injected” into the quasi-neutral regions
➔ Δnp > 0, Δpn > 0.
◼ Minority carriers diffuse in the quasi-neutral regions, recombining with
majority carriers.
 Current Flow in a pn Junction Diode

◼ Current density J = JN(x) + JP(x)

dn d (n)
J N ( x) = qn nE + qDN = qn nE + qDN
dx dx
dp d (p)
J P ( x) = qp pE − qDP = qp pE − qDP
dx dx

◼ JN(x) and JP(x) may vary with position, but J is constant throughout the
diode.

◼ Yet an additional assumption is now made, that thermal recombination-

generation is negligible throughout the depletion region → JN and JP are
therefore determined to be constants independent of position inside the
depletion region.
Carrier Concentrations at –xp, +xn

◼ Consider the equilibrium carrier concentrations at VA = 0:

p-side n-side

pp0 (− xp ) = N A nn0 ( xn ) = N D
ni2 ni2
np0 (− xp ) = pn0 ( xn ) =
NA ND

◼ If low-level injection conditions prevail in the quasi-neutral regions when

VA  0, then:

pp (− xp ) = N A nn ( xn ) = ND
 PN JUNCTION CURRENT
Qualitative Description of Charge Flow in a pn Junction

Thermal-equilibrium concentration

Majority carrier: electrons

Majority carrier: Holes

Minority carrier: electrons

Minority carrier: Holes
“Law of the Junction”

◼ The voltage VA applied to a pn junction falls mostly across the

depletion region (assuming that low-level injection conditions prevail in
the quasi-neutral regions).

◼ Two quasi-Fermi levels is drawn in the depletion region:

p = ni e( Ei − FP ) kT
n = ni e( FN − Ei ) kT

np = ni2e( Ei − FP ) kT e( FN − Ei ) kT
= ni2 e( FN − FP ) kT

np = ni2eqVA kT

for − xp  x  xn
 PN JUNCTION CURRENT
Qualitative Description of Charge Flow in a pn Junction

Forward Applied Voltage

Majority
Majority carrier:
carrier: electrons
Holes
Minority
Minority carrier:
carrier: Holes
electrons
Excess Carrier Concentrations at –xp, xn

p-side n-side

pp (− xp ) = N A nn ( xn ) = ND
2 qVA kT ni2eqVA kT

np (− xp ) =
ne i pn ( xn ) =
NA ND

= np0 e qVA kT = pn0eqVA kT

ni2 qVA ni2 qVA

np (− xp ) = (e kT
− 1) pn ( xn ) = (e kT
− 1)
NA ND
 Example: Carrier Injection

◼ A pn junction has NA=1018 cm–3 and ND=1016 cm–3. The applied voltage is
0.6 V.

a) What are the minority carrier concentrations at the depletion-region

edges?

np (− xp ) = np0 e qVA kT
= 100  e0.6 0.02586 = 1.192 1012 cm −3
pn ( xn ) = pn0e qVA kT
= 104  e0.6 0.02586 = 1.192 1014 cm −3

b) What are the excess minority carrier concentrations?

np (− xp ) = np (− xp ) − np0 = 1.192 1012 − 100 = 1.192 1012 cm −3

pn ( xn ) = pn ( xn ) − pn0 = 1.192 1014 − 104 = 1.192 1014 cm −3
 Example 1

Solution:
 PN JUNCTION CURRENT
Ideal PN Junction Current

The total pn junction current is due to the

minority carrier hole diffusion current at
x=xn and the minority carrier electron
diffusion current at x=xp

𝑞𝑉𝑎
𝐽= 𝐽0 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 −1

𝑞𝑉𝑎 𝑞𝑉𝑎
𝐼 =𝐴×𝐽 =𝐴 × 𝐽0 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 −1 = 𝐼0 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 −1
 PN JUNCTION CURRENT
Ideal PN Junction Current

𝑐𝑚2
Hole Diffusion
𝐷𝑛 𝐷𝑝 𝑠
Coefficient
𝐽0 = 𝑞𝑛𝑖2 + 𝑘𝑇
𝐿𝑛 𝑁𝑎 𝐿𝑝 𝑁𝑑 𝐷𝑝 = 𝜇 ቚ
𝑞 𝑝 𝑁𝑑 𝑐𝑚2
𝑠
Electron Diffusion Coefficient
𝑘𝑇
𝐷𝑛 𝐷𝑝 𝐷𝑛 = 𝜇 ቚ
𝐼0 = 𝐴𝑞𝑛𝑖2 + 𝑞 𝑛 𝑁𝑎
𝐿𝑛 𝑁𝑎 𝐿𝑝 𝑁𝑑
Hole Diffusion Length:
𝑐𝑚
𝐿𝑝 = 𝐷𝑝 × 𝜏𝑝

Electron Diffusion Length:

𝑐𝑚
𝐿𝑛 = 𝐷𝑛 × 𝜏𝑛
 Example 2

Solution:

𝐷𝑛 𝐷𝑝
𝐽0 = 𝑞𝑛𝑖2 +
𝐿𝑛 𝑁𝑎 𝐿𝑝 𝑁𝑑

Solution: 𝐽0 = 4.16 × 10−11 𝐴ൗ𝑐𝑚2

 Example 3

A silicon pn junction diode has doped at NA=1017 cm-3 and ND=1018 cm-3.
At room temperature, given that τn = τp = 10-6 s, calculate the following:
a. Electron and Hole diffusion length
b. Calculate the reverse saturation current density
c. If the cross sectional area of the diode is 2 cm2, calculate the diode current at VA=0.3 V.
d. Find the approximated breakdown voltage of the diode.
e. Calculate the critical electric field.
 Example 3 solution
NA=1017 cm-3 and ND=1018 cm-3
Solution
a. Electron and Hole diffusion length ➔ 𝐿𝑛 = 𝐷𝑛 × 𝜏𝑛 and 𝐿𝑝 = 𝐷𝑝 × 𝜏𝑝
First, both τn = τp = 10-6 s are given in the problem.
Then, we need to find Dn and Dp:
𝑘𝑇 2 𝑐𝑚2 𝑐𝑚2
𝐷𝑛 = 𝜇 ȁ ➔ 𝜇𝑛 = 9 × 10 𝑉.𝑆 ➔ 𝐷𝑛 = 0.0258 × 9 × 102 = 23.22 𝑆
𝑞 𝑛 𝑁𝑎
𝐿𝑛 = 23.22 × 10−6 = 4.82 × 10−3 𝑐𝑚

𝑘𝑇 2 𝑐𝑚2 𝑐𝑚2
𝐷𝑝 = 𝜇 ห ➔ 𝜇𝑝 = 1.5 × 10 𝑉.𝑆 ➔ 𝐷𝑛 = 0.0258 × 1.5 × 102 = 3.87 𝑆
𝑞 𝑝 𝑁𝑑
𝐿𝑝 = 3.87 × 10−6 = 1.97 × 10−3 𝑐𝑚
 Example 3 solution
Solution
b. Calculate the reverse saturation current density:
𝐷𝑛 𝐷𝑝
𝐽0 = 𝑞𝑛𝑖2 +
𝐿𝑛 𝑁𝑎 𝐿𝑝 𝑁𝑑

23.22 3.87 𝐴
𝐽0 = 1.6 × 10−19 × 1010 2 + = 8.022 × 10 −13
4.82 × 10−3 × 1017 1.97 × 10−3 × 1018 𝑐𝑚2

c. If the cross sectional area of the diode is 2 cm2, calculate the diode current at VA=0.3 V:
𝑞𝑉𝑎 𝑞𝑉𝑎
𝐼 =𝐴×𝐽 =𝐴× 𝐽0 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 − 1 = 𝐼0 × 𝑒 𝐾𝑇 −1
0.3
𝐼 = 2 × 8.022 × 10−13 𝑒 0.0258 − 1 = 1.8 × 10−7 𝐴
 Example 3
Solution
d. Find the approximated breakdown voltage of the diode: VBR

1- find the lowest value from NA and ND: 1017 cm-3 NA=1017 cm-3 and ND=1018 cm-3
2- apply the value 1017 cm-3 on the x-axis of the breakdown voltage curve, then find VBR
𝑉𝐵𝑅 = 1.3 × 101 = 13 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡

e. Calculate the critical electric field:

2𝑞 𝑁𝐷 𝑁𝐴
𝜀𝐶𝑅 = 𝑉𝑏𝑖 + 𝑉𝐵𝑅
𝜖𝑠 𝑁𝐷 + 𝑁𝐴
𝐾𝑇 𝑁𝐴 𝑁𝐷
𝑉𝑏𝑖 = 𝑙𝑛 = 0.89 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
𝑞 𝑛𝑖2
2 × 1.6 × 10−19 1017 × 1018
𝜀𝐶𝑅 = 0.89 + 13
11.9 × 8.854 × 10−14 1017 + 1018
= 6.2 × 105 𝑉/𝑐𝑚
 Example 4
A Germanium (Ge) diode has doped in one side with Arsenide at 1016 cm-3.
Under equilibrium condition at room temperature, if the built-in potential is
0.2 V, calculate the following:
a. Number of electrons and number of holes in both sides; nn, pn, pp and np.
b. n-side depletion width, p-side depletion width and the total depletion
width.
c. Draw the potential across the depletion region with respect to x; Show all
the required parameters.
d. Draw the energy band diagram; Show all the required parameters.
Commonly used terms and notation for this chapter