EEE118 Problem Class Questions – Sheet 1

Fundamental Constants

Boltzman Constant, kB = 1.381 x 10-23 JK-1

Charge on Electron, e = 1.6 x 10-19 C
Mass of the Electron, me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg
Planck‟s Constant, h = 6.626 x 10-34 Js
Speed of Light in a Vacuum, c = 3x108 ms-1
Mass of a Proton, mp = 1.673 x 10-27 kg
Permittivity of Free Space, ε0=8.85 x 10-12 Fm-1
Band gap energy for Si, Wg = 1.1eV = 1.1 x 1.6 x 10-19 J

1. A metal wire has a conductivity of 6.7107 -1m-1 at a specified temperature. If the

electric field is 100 V/m calculate the average drift velocity of electrons, assuming
there are 1029 free conduction electrons per cubic metre. Calculate also the mobility
and mean free time between collisions. Use the free electron mass.
(0.42 m/s, 4.210-3 m2/Vs, 2.3810-14 s)

2. A sample of Si has a resistivity of 4.310-3 m at room temperature and the free

electron density is 1.21022 m-3. Calculate the mobility from this data. What is the
mean time between collisions () appropriate to this mobility? Assume me*=0.98me.

(0.12 m2/Vs, 6.710-13 s)

3. A parallel plate capacitor has a spacing of 10 µm with air between the plates. The
area of the capacitor is 1x10-5m2.

(a) If a dielectric of relative permittivity εr =10 is placed between the plates what should
the new spacing be to leave the capacitance unchanged?
(100 µm)
(b) Calculate the capacitance.
(8.8 pF)

(c) The dielectric in the capacitor has a breakdown field of 50MVm-1. Calculate the
maximum voltage which may be applied to the capacitor.
(5kV)
 EEE118 Problem Class Questions – Sheet 2

Permittivity of free space = 8.8x10-12 F/m

Electron charge = 1.6 x10-19 C
Electron mass = 9.1 × 10-31 Kg
For germanium (Ge); e = 0.39 m2 V-1 s-1 ; h = 0.19 m2 V-1 s-1 m*e = 0.22me, ni =2.5x1019 m-3
For silicon (Si); e = 0.12 m2 V-1 s-1 ; h = 0.046 m2 V-1 s-1 me = 0. 97, ni ~1.5x1016 m-3
Density of atoms in Si = 4.9 x 1028 m-3
Kinetic energy acquired by an electron as is moves through a potential of 1 V = 1 eV

1. The band-gap of silicon at room temperature has an energy of 1.11 eV. What is this in
Joules?
(1.76×10 −19 J)

2. (second part is difficult, so you should move on if you can’t do it)

In an intrinsic piece of silicon that has been heated up to temperature, T2 , the electron carrier
density is 1x1018 m-3 . The mobility of electrons and holes are 0.05 m2 V-1 s-1 and 0.02 m2 V-1 s-
1
, respectively. What is the conductivity of the material at this temperature? If the
temperature (in degrees K) is now reduced to T1 , show that the carrier concentration at the
lower temperature is given by (hint: consider the ratios of ni at the two temperatures, T1 and
T2 ):
(1.12 x 10-2 (Ωm)-1 )
3/2  Wg  1 1  
T 
 ni1  1x10  1 
18
exp      
 T2   2 k B  T1 T2   .

3. (a) Calculate the average scattering time of electrons at room temperature in Si and Ge
based upon their mobilities and effective masses.
(660 fs, 490 fs)
(b) If these crystals are ultra-pure and defect-free, what is the origin of these scattering
events?

4. A rod of heavily p-doped germanium is 6 mm long, l mm wide and 0.5 mm thick. It has
an electrical resistance of 120 ohms along its length. Assuming that all the conductivity is
due to holes, determine the impurity concentration.
(3.3x1021 m-3 )

5. A chip of Si is 1 mm x 2 mm in area and 0.1 mm thick. The material has one in every 10 8
atoms replaced by an atom of B
(a) Is the doped material n-type or p-type. Why?
(b) What is the density of majority carriers?
(c) What voltage is required to produce a current of 2mA between the large faces?

(4.9 x 1020 m-3 , 28 mV)

 EEE118 Problem Class Questions – Sheet 3

Fundamental Constants
Boltzman Constant, k = 1.381x10-23 JK-1 = 8.62×10−5 eVK-1
Charge on Electron, e = 1.602x10-19 C
Data for germanium
Hole mobility, h=0.19
Electron mobilitye=0.39 m2V-1s-1
Band-gap of germanium (Ge) = 0.66eV
Data for silicon
Hole mobility h=0.046 m2V-1s-1.
Electron mobility e =0.12 m2V-1s-1
Band-gap of silicon (Si) = 1.1 eV

1(a) The intrinsic free carrier concentration for Si at 300K is 1.5 x 1016 m-3. From this, derive
the constant of proportionality in the equation for ni. (5x1021 m-3K-3/2)
(b) Using this number, calculate the free carrier concentration of intrinsic silicon at 250K
and 350K. (1.6x1014 m-3, 4x1017 m-3)
(c) Using the same constant, calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration for germanium at
250K, 300K and 350K. (4.4x 1018 m-3, 7.4x 1019 m-3 5.8x 1020 m-3)
(d) How might you expect the majority and minority carrier concentration of heavily n-
doped silicon to change over this temperature range? State your assumptions.
(e) Which of these three materials may be most suitable to be used in a sensor to measure
temperature over this temperature range? State your assumptions.

2). A bar of intrinsic germanium, 2 mm in length, has 2.5x1019 free electrons per m3. A
voltage of 1 V is applied across its length.
a. Calculate the conductivity of the material. (2.3 Ω-1m-1)
b. Find the net drift current density. (1160 Am-2)
c. What fraction of the drift current is due to electrons? (67%)
d. What are the drift velocities of the electrons and holes? (195 ms-1, 95 ms-1)

3) A silicon sample is doped with donors from one side such that Nd= N0exp(-ax) (see
Figure). The sample is at room temperature where all donors may be expected to be ionized.

(a) Find an expression for the resultant built-in

electric field E(x) at equilibrium over the range for which
Nd>>ni

(b) Evaluate E(x) when a=1x106 m-1

(i.e. a=1 (µm)-1) (2.6x104 Vm-1)

(c) Indicate the direction of E on the figure opposite

 EEE118 Problem Class Questions – Sheet 4

Fundamental Constants

Boltzman Constant, k = 1.381x10-23 JK-1

Charge on Electron, q = 1.602x10-19 C

-4 -2
1. A germanium p-n junction has a bulk resistivity of 4.2×10 and 2.08×10 Ωm for the p-
and n-type material respectively. For germanium µe = 0.3, µh = 0.15 m2V-1s-1, and ni=2.5×
1019 m-3 at room temperature. Stating all assumptions;

a) Show the free electron carrier density in the n-type material is 1x1021 m-3.

b) Show that the free hole carrier density in the p-type material is 9.9x1022 m-3

c) Sketch the extent of the depletion region into the p-type and n-type material.

d) Calculate the hole (minority) carrier density in the n-type material.

e) Show the height of the potential barrier at the junction is 0.3V.

f) Can you estimate the band-gap of Ge ?

g) Calculate the diffusion coefficients for the electrons and holes.

h) Is the saturation current mainly due to electrons or holes? (Assume the minority
carrier lifetimes are identical).
 EEE118 Problem Class Questions – Sheet 5
Fundamental Constants
Boltzman Constant, k = 1.381x10-23 JK-1 = 8.62×10−5 eVK-1
Charge on Electron, q = 1.602x10-19 C

-4 -2
1) A germanium p-n junction has a bulk resistivity of 4.2×10 and 2.08×10 Ωm for the p-
and n-type material respectively. For germanium µe = 0.3, µh = 0.15 m2V-1s-1, and ni=2.5×
1019 m-3 at room temperature. The minority carrier lifetimes of the p and n-type material of
the junction are 150 and 75 µs respectively, and the sample has a cross-sectional area of 1×
-6
10 m2. Assuming that there is a large thickness of semiconductor on each side of the
junction, calculate the saturation current.

a) What is the saturation current?

b) What proportion of the saturation current is carried by holes?
c) Calculate the hole density at the interface between the depletion layer and
the n-type material when forward voltages of 25, 50 and 100 mV are
applied to the junction.
d) Calculate the hole density at the interface between the depletion layer and
the n-type material when reverse voltages of 25, 50 and 100 mV are
applied to the junction.

2) The current flowing in a certain p-n junction at room temperature is l µA when a

reasonably large reverse bias voltage is applied.
Find the applied voltage corresponding to a forward current of 10 mA.
This diode is constructed with p-type material of conductivity 2000 Sm-1 and n-type of 500
Sm-1. Each region is l mm long and 1 x 0.5 mm in cross-section. Calculate the total voltage
drop across the terminals of the diode when 10 mA flows. Comment on the result.

3) In what wavelength range will a GaAs photodiode respond to incident light?

Note that the energy of a photon is hc/λ, where h is Planck's constant and c is the speed of
light. Eg for GaAs is 1.42 eV.
What happens if light outside this wavelength range is incident?
What wavelength would you expect a GaAs LED to operate at?
 EEE118 Tutorial Questions – Sheet 6

l. A JFET has a channel resistivity of 0.15 Ωm. At zero drain bias, calculate the channel
resistance for a gate length, L, of 1 µm a width, Z, of 1mm and a channel thickness of 2 µm
assuming no gate bias and a negligible zero gate bias depletion in the channel. Using the
expression for depletion thickness for a p+n junction in the notes, calculate the pinch off voltage
assuming a negligible built-in potential and an electron mobility of 0.12 m2V-1s-1 in the channel.
Use ε = εo εr = 8.85 x 10-12 x 12 Fm-1.

What is the resistance of the channel when a gate voltage equal to half the pinch off voltage is
applied?
(75 Ω, 1.05 V, 254 Ω)

4. The output characteristics of a depletion mode FET is shown in the figure. From this estimate
the transconductance, gm, and the channel resistance at zero gate bias and low drain bias (neglect
any other resistances).