Ain Shams University ECE311

Faculty of Engineering Advanced Semiconductor

ECE Department Fall 2022

Exercise 01
Revision on Semiconductor Fundamentals

Question 1:
Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false:
1. Splitting of energy levels doesn’t occur in gases where atoms are widely separated.
2. The valance band is the last filled band at absolute zero temperature while the conduction band is the next
one.
3. The effective mass of an electron in a semiconductor material considers the internal influences of the fixed
lattice so that electron can be treated as almost free.
4. The effective mass accounts for scattering due to lattice vibration or any other type of scattering.
5. In all cases, the effective mass of a hole is higher than that of an electron.
6. The energy gap of a semiconductor material is independent on the temperature.
7. GaAs and Si differ significantly in their optical properties
8. The probability that an electron may occupy an allowed state at the Fermi level is dependent on
temperature.
9. The area under the density of states curve in the conduction band represents the total number of free
electrons per unit volume
10. Energy levels below the Fermi level are more likely to be occupied with holes than those above the Fermi
level.
11. The mass action law (np = ni2) is valid in all semiconductors under steady state condition.
12. When an intrinsic semiconductor is doped with ND donors, the new electron concentration is n = ni + ND.
13. Charge neutrality in a semiconductor at any temperature can be formulated as follows: n + NA = p + ND.
14. If a semiconductor is doped with ND donor atoms and NA acceptor atoms such that ND = NA then, at high
enough temperature, the equilibrium electron and hole concentrations as given by: n = p = ni.
15. The electron and hole concentration expressions, n = Nc exp [(Ef -Ec)/kT] and p = Nv exp [(Ev -Ef)/kT], are
valid only for non-degenerate semiconductor.
16. The intrinsic carrier concentration of a semiconductor increases as its energy gap decreases.
17. The difference between the Fermi level and the conduction band edge Ec varies from one point to another
inside a non-uniformly doped semiconductor.
18. As the temperature increases (starting from zero), the Fermi level in extrinsic semiconductor approaches the
intrinsic level.

1
19. The Fermi level is aligned under thermal equilibrium. So, charges are equally distributed inside the
structure.
20. At thermal equilibrium, Generation rate = Recombination rate = zero.
21. Thermal equilibrium is a dynamic situation in which the total energy is a function only of crystal
temperature and every process is balanced by its inverse process so that there is no net change on the
system.
22. At thermal equilibrium, the material must be in steady state condition.
23. At steady state, the material must be in thermal equilibrium.
24. Drift velocity is the average velocity of charged particles in the presence of an electric field.
25. At very high electric fields, the electron drift velocity saturates with increasing field intensity.
26. The mobility of electrons in a semiconductor is independent of the value of the applied electric field.
27. The electron mobility in a semiconductor material increases with increasing doping concentration.
28. The mobility of electrons in a semiconductor is inversely proportional to the square root of the effective
mass of the electron.
29. The conductivity of intrinsic semiconductors increases with increasing temperature.
30. The diffusion coefficient and mobility of electrons in a semiconductor can have totally independent values.
31. The diffusion length of an electron is the average distance traveled by that electrons under the action of an
electric field before it undergoes recombination with a hole.
32. The diffusion length of electrons in a semiconductor increases as the electron mobility decreases.
33. The mean lifetime for holes is equal to that of electrons in an intrinsic semiconductor.
34. The injection of carriers increases the electron-hole densities such as np > ni2.
35. The condition in which the excess-carrier concentration is much larger than the thermal equilibrium
majority carrier concentration is called high level injection.

2
Question 2:
Figure (1) presents an energy band diagram of non-uniform silicon doped sample of length L. Use the cited
energy band diagram to answer the following questions.

Figure 1. Energy band diagram of non-uniform silicon doped sample.

1. The semiconductor type at point x1 is

(a) Extrinsic (b) Intrinsic (c) Degenerate

2. The semiconductor is degenerate

(a) Near x = 0 (b) Nowhere (c) L/3< x < 2 L/3 (d) Near x = L

3. The electric field is as sketched below.

4. The electrostatic potential (V) inside the semiconductor is as sketched below.

5. The kinetic energy of the hole shown in the figure is

(a) Ev (b) –EG /3 (c) EG /3 (d) Zero

6. The hole drift current density (Jpdrift) flowing at x = x1 is

(a) Zero (b) 𝝁𝒑 ni EG /L (c) - 𝝁𝒑ni EG /L (d) q𝝁𝒑ND (kT/q)/L

3
 7. The electron current density (Jn) flowing at x = x1 is
(a) Zero (b) - 𝝁𝒏 ni EG/L (c) 𝝁𝒏 ni EG/L (d) Dn [n(x2) - n(0)]/L

8. The position of maximum potential energy for electrons is at

(a) x = 0 (b) x= L/3 (c) x= x1 (d) x = L

9. Do equilibrium conditions prevail?

(a) Yes (b) No (c) Can't be determined

Question 3:
Figure (2) presents an energy band diagram of abrupt Silicon pn junction. Let the sample be maintained at
300 K and Na = 5x1015 cm-3. Use the cited energy band diagram to answer the following questions

Ecp

Evp

Figure 2. Energy band diagram of abrupt Si pn junction.

1. What is the difference between the kinetic energy between hole 1 and hole 2?
2. If An electron at x = -xp with a total energy E = Ecp moves toward x = xn without changing its total
energy. What is the kinetic energy of the electron upon arriving at x = xn?
3. How much current is flowing through the diode?
4. Roughly sketch n and p versus x.
5. Sketch the potential inside the semiconductor as a function of x indicating the value of the built-in
potential between the two sides.
6. Sketch the electric field inside the semiconductor as a function of x indicating the direction of the field.
7. Sketch the charge density inside the semiconductor as a function of x with the correct polarity.

Best Wishes,
Dr. Mohamed Abouelatta
Eng. Mahmoud Deghadi