TEST I - ANSWERS

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QUESTION 1 [10 marks]
1a). Name the following three cubic-crystal unit cells. (1½ marks)

Simple cubic (sc) Body-centered cubic (bcc) Face-centerd cubic (fcc)

b). Name and draw the 3 types of solids, classified according to atomic arrangement.
(3 marks)

Amorphous Polycrystalline Single Crystal

c). What is the meaning of direct and in-direct semiconductor? [3 marks]

k = crystal momentum
parameter

EC min p = momentum of the

electron

EC min = Min. value in

∆k = 0 ∆k ≠ 0 conduction band
∆p = 0
∆p ≠ 0
EV max = Max. value in
valence band
EV max

Direct Semiconductor In-Direct Semiconductor

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d). Find the percentage of the dopant in the valence level. Consider the value of Boron (2.75
x 1017 cm-3) doping in Silicon with EV – EFp is equal to -0.013 eV. [2½ marks]

1
pa   N   ( EFp  Ev )  
 1   v  exp   
p  pa   4 N a   k BT  
1
pa   9.84 1018   0.013  
 1   17 
exp  
p  pa   4(2.75 10 )   0.026  
pa
  1  (8.945)(0.6)   0.1557 100  15.57% (in the dopant ( acceptor ) level )
1

p  pa
 in the valence level  100  15.57  84.43%

QUESTION 2 [10 marks]

2. An n-type Si semiconductor at T = 300 K with an impurity doping concentration of
nn = 6.25 x 1014 cm-3.

a). Find the impurity concentration (i.e the majority and minority carriers density) by
using the intrinsic value, [2
marks]

Majority carrier density nn  6.25x1014 cm 3 and

ni2  (1.5 x1010 )2 
Minority carrier density n p   14 
 3.6 x105 cm 3
nn  6.25 x10 

b). Find the resistivity of the charge carrier density of the material. [2 marks]

1 1
   10cm
nn .q.n (6.25 x10 cm )(1.6 x10 19 C )(1000cm 2 / Vs)
14 3

c). Find the intrinsic Fermi level for the majority carriers density [2
marks]

n   6.25 x1014 
EFnn  Ei  k BT ln  n   (0.026) ln  10 
 0.276eV
 ni   1.5 x10 

d). How fast the electrons move under the influence of the electric field, ε = 8 V/m with
the average time between collisions of 0.5 ns. [4 marks]

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 q. q. 1.6 1019  0.5 10 9
n    31
 87.912 m 2 / Vs
mn me 9.1 10
8V
vdrift  n .  (87.912 m 2 / Vs )( )  703.30 m / s or 70330 cm / s
m
QUESTION 3 [10 marks]
3. What is the Metallurgical junction?
The interface separating the ‘n’ and ‘p’ regions [1
mark]

4. An abrupt GaAs pn junction with built-in potential barrier Vbi = 1.4 V and Na = 1020 cm-3
at 300 K.
a). Calculate the dopant (acceptor) Fermi level with respect to the intrinsic Fermi level in
GaAs pn junction.
 Na   1020 
EFi  EFp  k BT ln   0.026 ln 6 
 0.8223eV [2 marks]
 ni   1.84 x10 

b). Calculate the dopant (donor) Fermi level with respect to the intrinsic Fermi level in GaAs
pn junction.
1 1
Vbi  1.4V   ( EFn  EFi )  ( EFi  EFp )    ( EFn  EFi )  0.8223
q q [2 marks]
 EFn  EFi  0.5777 eV

c). Calculate the value of the charge carrier (donor).

  E  EFi    0.5777 
n  N d  ni exp  Fn   (1.84  10 ) exp 
6
  8.21311015 cm 3 [2 marks]
 kT   0.026 

d). Explain of the situation when the value of xn >> xp, with respect to the dopant. [1
mark]
The space width, xn is fill up with ‘holes’ whereas the xp is fill up with ‘electrons’, the
electrons move faster than the holes. As a conclusion it takes less width to fill up the
region for the same amount of dopant otherwise. In ideal situation:
x p N a  xn N d
In order to have xn  x p
N a  N d

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e). Find the value of xp if the value of xn is given as 4.51 x 10-5 cm. [2 marks]

x p N a  xn N d

x p  xn N d / N a  (4.51105 cm)(8.21311015 cm 3 /10 20 cm 3 )  0.0003704 10 5 cm or 3.704 10 9 cm

List of Equations

  E  Ei  
Electron density, n  ni exp  F 
 kT 
  E  EF  
Hole density, p  ni exp  i 
 kT 
Conductivity of the electron,   n.q.n

q.
Mobility of the electron 
mn
v
Electric Field of the electron 
n
1
Fraction of electrons tied to the donor levels, nd   N   ( EC  Ed )  
 1   C  exp  
n  nd   2 N d   k BT 
1/ 2
 2 V  N  1 
xn   S bi  a  
 e  N d  N a  N d 
Space charge width, 1/ 2
 2 V  N d  1 
x p   S bi   
 e  N a  N a  N d  
Quantity Symbol Value
Electron mass. me 0.91 x10-30 kg
Boltzman constant. kB 1.38066 × 10-23 J/K (R/Nav)
Elementary charge. e 1.6 × 10-19 C
Thermal voltage at 300K. kBT/q 0.026 V

  µn Dn µp Dp
Si 1000 35 480 12.4
GaAs 8500 220 400 10.4
Ge 3900 101 1900 49.2

Typical mobility and diffusion coefficient values of T=300K (µ=cm2/Vs and D=cm2/s)

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Effective densities and intrinsic carrier concentrations of Si, Ge and GaAs.

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