Fermi Level in Semiconductor

BPT: 401: Electronics and Modern Physics

Tutorial - 3

Banaras Hindu University 10/03/2021 Sterlin

Fermi level in Intrinsic Semiconductor
Probability of free electron occupancy on the energy
level above EF increases with increasing temperature

f (E) =  For
1 se E  EF
for E  E
0 se F
f ( EF ) =
1
1 + e( EF − EF )/ kT
=
1 1
=
1+1 2

Fermi level is the highest 𝐸𝑔

𝐸𝐹 =
occupied energy level of 2 𝐸𝐹 𝐸𝐹
free electrons at 0 K
(highest possible Quantum
state of free electrons at 0
K) and Fermi energy is the
energy of electrons in
Fermi level
Intrinsic Semiconductor and Law of Mass Action
𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝐵 = 𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑉𝐵 (𝑇 > 0 𝐾) Carrier generation by thermal excitation;

Carrier concentration in CB, n = ni (free electrons)

EF – Fermi level
Ei – Fermi level of intrinsic semiconductor

Carrier concentration in VB, p = ni (holes)

Law of Mass Action

np = ni2

n → electron concentration, p →holes concentration , ni →intrinsic charge carrier concentration

Fermi level in N type and P type Semiconductor
N type P type
At T = 0 K
At 0K, No. of free e-s = No. of donor ions At 0K, No. of holes in VB = No. of acceptor ions

If the energy of thermal excited

electron is higher than Eg, then
it will reach CB

Thermally
excited electrons
N type Semiconductor (free electrons concentration)
ND is the density of pentavalent or donor atoms (e.g. Phosphor)

EF (n-type) = EI + KBT ln(ND/ni)

Where, EI is the Fermi energy of intrinsic semiconductor
𝐸 −𝐸𝑖
ND/ni = exp ( 𝐹 )
𝐾𝐵𝑇

𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝑖
Ei ND = n0 = ni exp ( )
𝐾𝐵𝑇

n0 is free electrons
concentration in N type
semiconductor
P type Semiconductor (holes concentration)
NA is the density of trivalent or acceptor atoms (e.g. Boron)
EF (p-type) = Ei - KBT ln(NA/ni)
Where, EI is the Fermi energy of intrinsic semiconductor
𝐸𝑖 −𝐸𝐹
NA/ni = exp ( )
𝐾𝐵𝑇

Ei 𝐸𝑖 −𝐸𝐹
p0 = ni exp ( )
𝐾𝐵𝑇

p0 is the hole
concentration in VB
Formation of PN junction
 𝝏𝒏
Jn diff = qD𝝏𝒙
𝜕𝑛
𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝜕𝑥
D is the diffusion coefficient
E q is the carrier charge
Electrons diffusion (Jn diff) Jn drift = qµnnE
Charge concentration µn – Carrier mobility
gradient n – charge carrier concentration
Holes diffusion (Jp diff) E- is the built-in electric field
As election diffuses from N to P type material (due to concentration gradient), it leaves positive charges (holes)
in the N type and vice versa. Once a majority carrier crosses the junction, it becomes a minority carrier. It will
continue to diffuse away from the junction and can travel a distance on average equal to the diffusion length
before it recombines with opposite charges. The current caused by the diffusion of carriers across the junction
is called a diffusion current. As a result an electric field (E) is developed in the junction (depleted region). This
built-up electric field push the minority charge carriers, due to which a drift current is developed in the
direction opposite to that of the direction of diffusion current. Under equilibrium, the drift current is equal and
opposite to that of the diffusion current so there won’t be further movement of charge carriers and the net
current is zero. The electron drift current and electron diffusion current exactly balance out. Similarly, the hole
current also balance out.
Diffusion current – majority charge carrier
J = Jp + Jn = 0 Drift current – minority charge carrier
Jp = Jp drift + Jp diff = 0
Jn = Jn drift + Jn diff = 0 J - total current density, Jp – hole current density, Jn – electron current density
Energy Band diagram of PN junction
Barrier potential
Minority electrons
Wb
EC
𝒒𝑽𝟎
EI Majority electrons
EF
EV
Majority holes

Minority holes

E
PN junction formation Energy Band diagram of PN junction
Effect of bias in a PN junction

(a) At equilibrium, without external bias, the diffusion current and the drift current cancel
each other. (b) A positive bias voltage pushes the holes to the n-side and the free electrons
to the p-side. The potential barrier is reduced. Both diffusion currents of holes and free
electrons are increased. The drift currents, depending on the available carriers, are
unchanged. The net current is nonzero. (c) By applying a reversed bias, the holes are pushed
further back into the p-region and the free electrons are pushed further back into the n-
region. The diffusion current is reduced. Only the drift current persists.