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Lecture2b

The lecture covers the energy band model, thermal equilibrium, and the Fermi-Dirac distribution, including the Boltzmann approximation. It discusses intrinsic and degenerately doped semiconductors, their carrier concentrations, and the effects of temperature on the Fermi level. Key concepts include the relationship between the Fermi level and charge carriers, as well as band gap narrowing due to high dopant concentrations.

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張勝博
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3 views

Lecture2b

The lecture covers the energy band model, thermal equilibrium, and the Fermi-Dirac distribution, including the Boltzmann approximation. It discusses intrinsic and degenerately doped semiconductors, their carrier concentrations, and the effects of temperature on the Fermi level. Key concepts include the relationship between the Fermi level and charge carriers, as well as band gap narrowing due to high dopant concentrations.

Uploaded by

張勝博
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 2

OUTLINE
• Energy band model (revisited)
• Thermal equilibrium
• Fermi-Dirac distribution
a) Boltzmann approximation
• Relationship between EF and n, p
• Intrinsic Fermi level
• Determination of EF
• Degenerately doped semiconductor

Read: Neamen’s Chapters 3-4


Charge carriers in semiconductors
Boltzmann Approximation
 ( E  EF ) / kT
If E  EF  3kT , f ( E)  e

( E  EF ) / kT
If EF  E  3kT , f ( E)  1  e

Probability that a state is empty (occupied by a hole):


( E  EF ) / kT  ( EF  E ) / kT
1  f ( E)  e e
• Integrate p(E) over all the energies in the
valence band to obtain p:
g v(E)1  f(E)dE
Ev
p
bottomof valence band

• By using the Boltzmann approximation, and


extending the integration limit to -, we obtain
3/ 2
 2m kT 
*

p  Nve  ( E F  Ev ) / kT
where N v  2 p

 h 2 
 
Intrinsic Carrier Concentration
Dopant atoms and energy level
N-type semiconductor
Dopant atoms and energy level
P-type semiconductor
The Fermi-Dirac Integral
Intrinsic Fermi Level, Ei
• To find EF for an intrinsic semiconductor, use the fact
that n = p:
 ( Ec  E F ) / kT  ( E F  Ev ) / kT
Nce  Nve
Ec  Ev kT  N v 
EF   ln   Ei
2 2  Nc 

Ec  Ev 3kT  p  Ec  Ev
*
m
Ei   ln * 
2 4 m  2
 n
n(ni, Ei) and p(ni, Ei)
• In an intrinsic semiconductor, n = p = ni and EF = Ei :
n  ni  N c e  ( Ec  Ei ) / kT p  ni  N v e  ( Ei  Ev ) / kT
( Ec  Ei ) / kT ( Ei  Ev ) / kT
 N c  ni e  N v  ni e

( E F  Ei ) / kT ( Ei  E F ) / kT
n  ni e p  ni e
Example: Energy-band diagram
Question: Where is EF for n = 1017 cm-3 ?
Nondegenerately Doped Semiconductor
• Recall that the expressions for n and p were derived using
the Boltzmann approximation, i.e. we assumed

Ev  3kT  EF  Ec  3kT

3kT Ec

EF in this range

3kT
Ev
The semiconductor is said to be nondegenerately doped in this case.
Degenerately Doped Semiconductor
• If a semiconductor is very heavily doped, the Boltzmann
approximation is not valid.
In Si at T=300K: Ec-EF < 3kT if ND > 1.6x1018 cm-3

EF-Ev < 3kT if NA > 9.1x1017 cm-3

The semiconductor is said to be degenerately doped in this case.

• Terminology:

“n+”  degenerately n-type doped. EF  Ec

“p+”  degenerately p-type doped. EF  Ev


Band Gap Narrowing
• If the dopant concentration is a significant fraction of
the silicon atomic density, the energy-band structure
is perturbed  the band gap is reduced by DEG :
8 300
DEG  3.5 10 N 1/ 3

N = 1018 cm-3: DEG = 35 meV


N = 1019 cm-3: DEG = 75 meV
Statistics of donor and acceptor
Complete ionization and freeze-out
Dopant Ionization (Band Model)
Carrier Concentration vs. Temperature
Dependence of EF on Temperature

Ec

 ( Ec  E F ) / kT
n  Nce
EF for donor-doped EF  Ec  kT lnNc n
EF for acceptor-doped

Ev
1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020
Net Dopant Concentration (cm-3)
Summary
• Thermal equilibrium:
– Balance between internal processes with no
external stimulus (no electric field, no light, etc.)

1
– Fermi function f (E) 
1  e ( E  EF ) / kT
• Probability that a state at energy E is filled with an
electron, under equilibrium conditions.
• Boltzmann approximation:
 ( E  EF ) / kT
For high E, i.e. E – EF > 3kT: f ( E )  e

 ( EF  E ) / kT
For low E, i.e. EF – E > 3kT: 1  f ( E)  e

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