Lecture1 WhatisaSemiconductor?

• Lowresistivity=>“conductor”
OUTLINE • Highresistivity=>“insulator”
• BasicSemiconductorPhysics • Intermediateresistivity=>“semiconductor”
– Semiconductors – conductivityliesbetweenthatofconductorsand
– Intrinsic(undoped)silicon insulators
– generallycrystallineinstructureforICdevices
– Doping
• Inrecentyears,however,noncrystallinesemiconductorshave
– Carrierconcentrations becomecommerciallyveryimportant

Reading:Chapter2.1
polycrystalline amorphouscrystalline
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SemiconductorMaterials Silicon
• Atomicdensity:5x1022 atoms/cm3
• Sihasfourvalenceelectrons.Therefore,itcanform
covalentbondswithfourofitsnearestneighbors.
• Whentemperaturegoesup,electronscanbecome
Phosphorus freetomoveabouttheSilattice.
(P)
Gallium
(Ga)

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ElectronicPropertiesofSi ElectronHolePairGeneration
x Siliconisasemiconductormaterial. • Whenaconductionelectronisthermallygenerated,
– Pure Si has a relatively high electrical resistivity at room temperature.
a“hole” isalsogenerated.
x Thereare2typesofmobilechargecarriersinSi: • Aholeisassociatedwithapositivecharge,andis
– Conduction electrons are negatively charged; freetomoveabouttheSilatticeaswell.
– Holes are positively charged.

x Theconcentration(#/cm3)ofconductionelectrons&holesina
semiconductorcanbemodulatedinseveralways:
1. by adding special impurity atoms ( dopants )
2. by applying an electric field
3. by changing the temperature
4. by irradiation

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CarrierConcentrationsinIntrinsicSi Doping(Ntype)
• The“bandgapenergy” Eg istheamountofenergy • Sicanbe“doped” withotherelementstochangeits
neededtoremoveanelectronfromacovalentbond. electricalproperties.
• Theconcentrationofconductionelectronsin • Forexample,ifSiisdopedwithphosphorus(P),each
intrinsicsilicon,ni,dependsexponentiallyonEg and Patomcancontributeaconductionelectron,sothat
theSilatticehasmoreelectronsthanholes,i.e. it
theabsolutetemperature(T):
becomes“Ntype”:
 Eg Notation:
ni 5.2 u 1015 T 3 / 2 exp electrons / cm 3 n =conductionelectron
2 kT concentration

ni # 1 u 1010 electrons / cm 3 at 300K

ni # 1 u 1015 electrons / cm 3 at 600K
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Doping(Ptype) SummaryofChargeCarriers
• IfSiisdopedwithBoron(B),eachBatomcan
contributeahole,sothattheSilatticehasmore
holesthanelectrons,i.e. itbecomes“Ptype”:
Notation:
p =holeconcentration

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ElectronandHoleConcentrations Terminology
• Underthermalequilibriumconditions,theproduct donor: impurity atom that increases n
oftheconductionelectrondensityandthehole acceptor: impurity atom that increases p
densityisALWAYSequaltothesquareofni:
2 N-type material: contains more electrons than holes
np ni
• Thisiscalledmassactionlaw P-type material: contains more holes than electrons

majority carrier: the most abundant carrier

Ntypematerial Ptypematerial
minority carrier: the least abundant carrier
n | ND p | NA
2
ni ni
2 intrinsic semiconductor: n = p = ni
p| n|
ND NA extrinsic semiconductor: doped semiconductor

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 Summary
• Thebandgapenergyistheenergyrequiredtofreean
electronfromacovalentbond.
– Eg forSiat300K=1.12eV
• InapureSicrystal,conductionelectronsandholesare
formedinpairs.
– Holescanbeconsideredaspositivelychargedmobileparticles
whichexistinsideasemiconductor.
– Bothholesandelectronscanconductcurrent.
• SubstitutionaldopantsinSi:
– GroupVelements(donors)contributeconductionelectrons
– GroupIIIelements(acceptors)contributeholes
– Verylowionizationenergies(<50meV)
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