Self-Study “Haynes – Shockley Experiment” Assignment

2022
The Haynes-Shockley (HS) experiment is a very useful ‘tool’ used to help understand and investigate
the electrical properties in semiconductors. Various carrier semiconductor parameters can be
determined. Read up on this experiment

Question 1: What semiconductor phenomena can be studied, name two?

Introduction
The HS experiment, shown in Figure 1, concise of a p-doped semiconductor bar (length L), which has
two contacts soldered at the ends. Contact, Dc, is grounded, and a negative voltage Vs is applied to
contact DE, which produces an electric field ES. The two metallic contacts (point probes) E and C, are
separated by a distance d.

Question 2: According to the experimental setup, what physical action must happen in order to
establish ES?

[2]

Question 3: Why are E and C contacts show as diodes in Figure 1?

[3]

A short ‘negative voltage pulse’ Vi is applied to contact E; this results in an injection of electrons is
the p-doped sample.

Question 4: What type of electrons are injected into the sample?

[2]

Figure 1 – HS Experimental Setup

The injection electrons will have a drift velocity of 𝑣𝐷 due to the applied sweep field which is
established by Vs:

𝑣𝐷 = 𝜇𝑎𝑚𝑏 𝐄S (1)
𝑣𝐷
𝜇𝑎𝑚𝑏 = 𝐄S
. (2)
Question 5:

(a) The parameter 𝜇𝑎𝑚𝑏 , is the ambipolar mobility parameter. If we assume low level injection, show
that the electron mobility, 𝜇𝑛 = 𝜇𝑎𝑚𝑏 for the given experiment.

[5]

After a delay time, t, excess carriers that have survived recombination will reach the sample region
underneath the point probe C. The contact (diode) DC, which is reverse biased by the resistor Rb, acts
as a collector for minority carriers. This results is a weak current of electrons which flows through Rb;
only when the burst/pulse of excess carriers reaches the collector region does this current increase -
due to the larger density of free electrons, and a negative pulse across Rb can be detected by an
oscilloscope.

Two peaks will be obtained on the oscilloscope, see Figure 1: the first peak (with amplitude and width
similar to those of the pulse applied to the emitter) is due to the injection pulse propagating from E
to C at the speed of light in the semiconductor material; therefore, it is practically simultaneous with
the injection pulse. [Understanding this peak requires a deeper understanding of a concept of
relaxation dielectric relaxation time ε/σ, where ε is the dielectric constant and σ the electrical
conductivity of the sample (ε/σ ~10-12 s) and will be taught in an electromagnetic course.] The second
peak, which is of interest to us, is due to the excess carriers flowing past the collector and it is much
smaller and broader, owing to diffusion and recombination processes.

Equations Used to Determine - drift velocity (𝒗𝑫 ), electron mobility (𝜇n), diffusion constant (𝐷n)
and the lifetime of excess carriers, 𝜏n0.

The drift velocity, 𝑣𝐷 is obtained experimentally from knowing the distance, d, between the two
electrodes and the time of flight, t:
𝑑
𝑣𝐷 = . (3)
𝑡

Question 6:
𝑉
Using the fact that the applied field, 𝐸𝑠 = 𝐿𝑠, where L is the length of the sample determine an
equation for the electron mobility in terms of four measureable quantities (d, t, L, 𝑉𝑠 ). Note the
differences between d and L.

[3]

Based on your text book ‘Semiconductor Physics and Devices’, by Donald A. Neamen, the diffusion
coefficient of the electrons can be calculated by use of studying the detected pulse, as sketched in
Figure 2, and the below derived equation,
(𝜇𝐸)2 (∆𝑡)2
𝐷𝑛 = 16𝑡
, (4a)

where,

∆𝑡 = 𝑡2 − 𝑡1 . (4b)
 Figure 2 – Collected excess carrier pulse versus time arriving at contact C

We will not calculate the diffusion constant in this assignment. [If you wish to do this calculation for
marks then you need to fail this course this year as it will be assessed next year.]

The area, A under the curve (Figure 2) is proportional to the number of excess electrons that have not
recombined with majority carrier holes; and it is also a function t, with a general form,
𝑡
−
𝐴(𝑡) = 𝐴0 𝑒 𝜏𝑛0 , (5)

where 𝜏n0 is the recombination life of minority electrons. By plotting ln(A/A0) vs. t the recombination
rate, τn0, can be determined.

Question 7:

Based on Equation 5, determine an equation for the area under the curve as a function of the sweep
electric field (Es).

[3]

By varying the sweep electric field, ES, the area under the curve will change.

Experiment

A Haynes-Shockley experiment, with a setup shown in Figure 1, was performed on a p-type

Four voltage sweeps (Vs) were set 21.2 V, 32.1 V, 42.7 V and 50 V. The below graph shows the pulse
arrivals for the applied sweep voltages.
 Figure 3 - Pulses collected for increasing values of the sweep voltages 21.2 V, 32.1 V, 42.7 V and
50.0 V for a constant injection pulse.

Question 8 - electron mobility coefficient

From the data captured above (Figure 3) tabulate sweep voltage (VS) versus time of flight (t) in
microseconds. Then use the data to determine the electron mobility in cm2/(V.s) fro each pulse.

[10]

The pulse area, A, can be determined by Gaussian interpolation which can be estimated to be:
𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 Δ𝑡 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 Δ𝑡
𝐴= 1 ≃ 0.941
,
2√2𝑙𝑛2
√2

where the 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥 is the maximum voltage of the pulse and Δ𝑡 is the pulse width at half maximum
height.

Question 9 – recombination lifetime

(a) As in Question 8, tabulate for each sweep voltage VS: t, Vmax, Δ𝑡, A and ln(A) pulse.
[5]
(b) Using data from you table above and theory plot a graph (time of flight(t) vs Ln(A) in order to
determine the recombination lifetime.
[15]

Question 10 - Write a conclusion.

[5]

Total 55
Dr Leigh Jarvis - April 2022; Copied assignments will received zero marks.