Scribd
Upload
82 views4 pages

How Do Electrons and Holes Populate The Bands?: Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

Electrons populate energy bands in semiconductors according to the Fermi-Dirac distribution. This distribution describes the probability that an available quantum state at a given energy is occupied by an electron. At zero temperature, states below the Fermi energy are fully occupied while states above are empty. At higher temperatures, states above the Fermi energy can become occupied, leaving lower energy states unoccupied. The probability of occupation is reduced with increasing energy above the Fermi level.

Uploaded by

mustafaphy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
82 views4 pages

How Do Electrons and Holes Populate The Bands?: Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

Electrons populate energy bands in semiconductors according to the Fermi-Dirac distribution. This distribution describes the probability that an available quantum state at a given energy is occupied by an electron. At zero temperature, states below the Fermi energy are fully occupied while states above are empty. At higher temperatures, states above the Fermi energy can become occupied, leaving lower energy states unoccupied. The probability of occupation is reduced with increasing energy above the Fermi level.

Uploaded by

mustafaphy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

How do electrons and holes populate the bands?

Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

Now that we know the number of available states at each energy, how
do the electrons occupy these states?
We need to know how the electrons are “distributed in energy”.
Again, Quantum Mechanics tells us that the electrons follow the
“Fermi-distribution function”.

1
f (E)  ( E  EF )
where k  Boltzman cons tan t , T  Temperature in Kelvin
1 e kT

and E F  Fermi energy (~ average energy in the crystal )

f(E) is the probability that a state at energy E is occupied


1-f(E) is the probability that a state at energy E is unoccupied
Georgia Tech ECE 3080 - Dr. Alan Doolittle
How do electrons and holes populate the bands?
Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

At T=0K, occupancy is “digital”: No occupation of states above EF and


complete occupation of states below EF
At T>0K, occupation probability is reduced with increasing energy.
f(E=EF) = 1/2 regardless of temperature.

Georgia Tech ECE 3080 - Dr. Alan Doolittle


How do electrons and holes populate the bands?
Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

At T=0K, occupancy is “digital”: No occupation of states above EF and


complete occupation of states below EF
At T>0K, occupation probability is reduced with increasing energy.
f(E=EF) = 1/2 regardless of temperature.
At higher temperatures, higher energy states can be occupied, leaving more
lower energy states unoccupied (1-f(E)).
Georgia Tech ECE 3080 - Dr. Alan Doolittle
How do electrons and holes populate the bands?
Probability of Occupation (Fermi Function) Concept

1
f (E)  ( E  EF )
1 e kT
+/-3 kT T=10 K,
1.20 3 kT 3 kT
kT=0.00086 eV
3 kT 3 kT
T=300K,
1.00
kT=0.0259
Ef=0.55 eV
0.80 T=450K,
f(E)

For E < (Ef-3kT): kT=0.039


0.60
f(E) ~ 1-e-(E-Ef)/kT~1 For E > (Ef+3kT):
0.40
f(E) ~ e-(E-Ef)/kT~0
0.20

0.00
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

E [eV]
Georgia Tech ECE 3080 - Dr. Alan Doolittle

You might also like