Electronic Devices

BITS Pilani Dr. Navneet Gupta

Pilani Campus Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
 BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus

Course No. EEE F214/INSTR F214/ECE F214

Module-10
Special Purpose Diodes
Disclaimer

The content used in this presentation is collected from

various standard textbooks. The copyright is held with
respective publishers/authors. The content is used for
academic purpose only and to disseminate the
knowledge in the field of electronic devices.

Navneet Gupta

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Optoelectronic Devices Lecture 36

 Basic particle of light i.e Photon-plays a major role. Photons Energy:

 Optical sources, detectors & data transmission E ph (eV ) 
1.24
 (  m)
Optoelectronic Devices

1. Photodiodes/Photodetectors 3. Light Emitting Diodes

2. Solar Cells 4. Laser Diodes

optical electrical electrical optical

 E ph  Eg  not absorbed (semiconductor is transparent).

 E ph  Eg  are absorbed (semiconductor is opaque).
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Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Photon Absorption

Photons may travel a considerable distance in the semiconductor before being

absorbed. The light intensity decreases exponentially with the distance of travel x

I ( x)  I 0e x
  absorption coefficient
1
 penetration depth

 I ( x)
gop   optical generation rate
h

If α is very large then most of the absorption will be close to the surface.
if α is very small, then most of the light will pass though without absorption.

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Photodiodes E ph  Eg

Iop

In n-region:  pop  gop p

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
 Optically generated current: I op  qAgop ( Lp  Ln  W )

 Dp D 
Thermally generated current: I th  qA pn  np 
n
L L 
 p n 
 qV 
Total reverse current with illumination: I  I th 
 e kT
 1   I op

 
When device is short circuited (V=0)

When device is open circuited (I=0) and V=Voc

For symmetrical junction:

Discuss the effect of
pn = np and τp = τn  Doping
 Temperature
pn/τn = gth  Band Gap

If we neglect the generation within W and gop >> gth; then ??

7
 Power is delivered from the Power is delivered to the
external circuit external circuit

 A photodiode may be used to detect optical signals as we observe the change

in current with change in light intensity when a reverse bias voltage is applied.

 Why are PDs used in reversed biased?

 Performance Parameters: Quantum efficiency and Responsivity

8
Prof. Navneet Gupta
Solar cell: (unbiased PDs)
Structure

 A solar cell’s structure is identical to a PN junction diode but

with finger-shaped or transparent electrodes so that light can
strike the semiconductor.

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 …Solar cell
Solar power in India is a fast
developing industry. The
In 2021 country's solar installed
capacity was 61.625 GWAC as
of 31 October 2022. Solar
power generation in India
ranks fourth globally in 2021

High quality mono-crystalline solar panels Solar panel array as the roof on a house

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Solar Cell:
Principle of Operation

The amount of absorption reduces

with depth and hence the depletion
region must be close to the surface
to maximize absorption. This is
achieved by having a thin n region.
Adapted from Principles of Electronic Materials - S.O. Kasap

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Solar cell
Equivalent circuit

Iop
Ith q

The total diode (solar cell) current is the sum of the current generated by the
voltage and that generated by light.
 qV 
I  I th  e  1  I op
kT

 
Output Power = P = IV

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Solar Cell:
IV Characteristics

Solar cell operates in the fourth quadrant of the IV plot. Since I and V have opposite signs,
solar cell generates power.

I mVm
Pm  I mVm
P I V
  m  m m FF 
Pin Pin I scVoc

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Light Emitting Diodes Lecture 37

 LED is essentially a pn junction diode typically made from a direct bandgap

semiconductor.
 The electrons and holes recombine by emitting photons (light) with hv ≈ Eg.
 By adjusting the composition of the semiconductor, Eg can be altered to
make blue, green, yellow, red, infrared, and UV LEDs possible. They are
made of compound semiconductors involving In, Ga, Al, As, P, and N.

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Light Emitting Diodes

Light emitting diodes (LEDs)

 LEDs are made of compound semiconductors such as InP and GaN.

 Light is emitted when electron and hole undergo radiative recombination.

Ec

Radiative Non-radiative
recombination recombination
through traps
Ev

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Light Emitting Diodes
Performance Parameters

• Frequency (colour) of the photons: Eg (eV ) 

1.24
 ( m)

• External quantum efficiency:  no. of photons escaped

ext. 
no. of injected charge carriers

• Internal efficiency: no. of photons radiated

int 
no. of injected charge carriers

no. of photons escaped

• Extraction efficiency: extraction 
no. of photons radiated
• ηext = ηint x ηextraction
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Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Loss Mechanisms

 Absorption within the LED material

 Fresnel loss: Reflection loss when light passes from
semiconductor to air due to difference in R.I.
 Critical angle loss: TIR at angles > critical angle (θc)
Hence , typically LEDs are made with a dome-type encapsulation,
which acts as lens so that more of the photons can be extracted.

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 LED Materials
Compound semiconductors
Lattice
Eg(eV)
E (eV ) Wavelength
(μm)
Color constant
(Å)
binary semiconductors:
InAs 0.36 3.44 6.05 - Ex: GaAs, efficient emitter

InN 0.65 1.91 infrared 3.45

ternary semiconductor :
InP 1.36 0.92 5.87 - Ex: GaAs1-xPx , tunable Eg (to vary
the color)
GaAs 1.42 0.87 Red
red 5.66
yellow
Yellow
GaP 2.26 0.55 blue
Green 5.46 quaternary semiconductors:
violet
Blue - Ex: AlInGaP , tunable Eg and lattice
AlP 3.39 0.51 5.45 constant (for growing high quality
GaN 2.45 0.37 3.19 epitaxial films on inexpensive
substrates)
AlN 6.20 0.20 UV 3.11

Light-emitting diode materials

1.24 1.24
LED wavelengt h (  m)  
photon energy Eg (eV )
Prof. Navneet Gupta
LED Material

Eg  AB1 x Cx   Eg ( AB)   Eg ( AC )  Eg ( AB)  x

Eg (GaAs1-xPx)
Direct Band gap:
GaAs = 1.43 eV
GaP = 2.75 eV
Indirect band gap:
GaAs = 1.86 eV
GaP = 2.26 eV

Prof. Navneet Gupta BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

New Technology
OLED

 OLED’ stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode - a technology that

uses LEDs in which the light is produced by organic molecules.

Flexible OLED

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Advance ED Course

EEE F419: Flexible and Stretchable Electronics

Course Description:
Introduction to flexible and stretchable electronics (FSE), material systems
and scaling issues; materials and substrates for flexible and printed
electronics, Material Considerations and various properties, techniques
for fabrication and characterization of FSE devices, mechanics of thin-films
and flexible devices, various flexible and stretchable devices: solar cells,
displays, thin-film transistors, sensors, artificial skin and actuators;
human-machine interfaces, wearable electronics for emerging
applications.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus