UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024

MAY EXAMINATION

UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

XXDAY, XX XX 2023 TIME : XX AM – XX AM (2 HOURS)

BACHELOR OF ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING WITH HONOURS

Instructions to Candidates:

SECTION A: Answer ALL questions [Total: 75 marks]

SECTION B: Answer ONE (1) out of TWO (2) questions [Total: 25 marks]

All questions carry equal marks.

This question paper consists of 5 questions on 6 printed pages.

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UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

SECTION A: Answer ALL questions [Total: 75 marks]

Q1. (a) Draw the body-centered cubic unit cell. The lattice constant of the unit cell is
3 Å. Calculate the volume density of atoms and the area density of atoms on
the face. (14 marks)

(b) The intrinsic carrier densities of Si and Ge at T =¿300 K are ni , Si =1.5 ×1010
cm-3 and ni ,≥¿=2.5 × 10 ¿ cm-3, respectively. Given the band gap energy of Si and
13

Ge are 1.1 eV and 0.66 eV, respectively, draw energy band diagram of the
semiconductors and use them to explain why ni ,≥¿>n ¿.i,Si
(11 marks)
[Total: 25 marks]

Q2. (a) A thin Si sample is transparent to light of wavelength 1500 nm but is opaque
to light of wavelength 500 nm. Explain why this is so given that the band gap
energy of Si is 1.1 eV. (10 marks)

(b) A sample of Si is doped with 1014 cm-3 donors and 5 × 1015 cm-3 acceptors at
300 K.

(i) Find the Fermi level of the doped semiconductor and draw the energy
band diagram. (6 marks)

(ii) Explain briefly why the intrinsic concentration of a semiconductor

increases with temperature. The intrinsic carrier concentration of Si at
T = 550 K is 1.1 × 10 15 cm-3. Hence, calculate the carrier densities of
the doped semiconductor at 550 K. (9
marks)
[Total: 25
marks]

Q3. A Si semiconductor sample at 300 K is doped with N D=5 ×10 15 cm-3. After the
semiconductor is exposed to light, the quasi-Fermi levels of the semiconductor are
F n−Ei=0.350 eV and Ei −F p=0.310 eV at steady state condition.

(a) Draw the energy band diagram of the sample that is exposed to light at steady
state condition. (5 marks)

(b) Determine the carrier concentrations of the semiconductor before and after
illumination. Explain if it is a low-level injection process. (14 marks)

This question paper consists of 5 questions on 6 printed pages.

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UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

(c) Determine the resistivity of the sample before and after illumination if n =
1400 cm2V-1s-1 and p = 500 cm2V-1s-1, (6 marks)
[Total: 25
marks]

SECTION B: Answer ONE (1) out of TWO (2) questions [Total: 25 marks]

Q4. (a) In a Si pn junction, N A =5 ×1016 cm-3 on the p-side and N D=10 15 cm-3 on
the n-side at T =¿ 300 K. Draw the energy band diagram and indicate in your
band diagram the width w of the depletion zone. Use the energy band diagram
to determine the built-in voltage V bi of the junction. (12 marks)

(b) A Si sample is doped so that N A =2 ×1014 cm-3, τ n=10−6 , τ p=10−9 s, and

20
gopt =10 EHP cm-3s-1. Determine the carrier concentrations n and p.
(7 marks)

(c) In the operation of a p+np BJT, explain why it is important for the width of
the base quasineutral region to be small compared to the minority carrier
diffusion length.
(6 marks)
[Total: 25 marks]

Q5. (a) Draw the energy band diagram of a p+np BJT at equilibrium. Describe the
flow of majority and minority charge carriers at the junctions of a p+np BJT in
active mode operation and how they contribute to the emitter and collector currents.
(13 marks)

(b) A GaAs sample is doped such that N A + N D =4 × 1016 cm-3. The intrinsic
carrier concentration is 2 ×106 cm-3 and Hall coefficient –312.5 cm3C-1. Find
the donor and acceptor densities ND and NA. (7 marks)

(c) A Si p+n junction is doped with 5  1016 cm-3 donors on the n-side. Calculate
the current with a forward bias of 0.5 V at 300 K if the junction cross-
sectional area is 10-3 cm2, p = 1 s and Dp = 10 cm2s-1. (5
marks)
[Total: 25
marks]

This question paper consists of 5 questions on 6 printed pages.

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UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

_________________________________________

Appendix

Values of Materials and Physical Constants

Avogadro’s number NA 6.022 × 1023 atoms per mole

Boltzmann’s constant k 1.38 × 10 –23 J / K
Electronic charge q 1.602 × 10 –19 C
Free electron rest mass mo 9.11 × 10 –31 kg
Planck’s constant h 6.625 × 10 –34 J s
Si intrinsic carrier density at 300K ni 1.5 × 1010 cm-3
Si band gap energy at 300K Eg 1.1 eV
Speed of light in free space c 3 × 108 ms-1

Formula

Fermi Function:

Formulas for n and p:

− E G/ 2 kT
np product:
ni = √ N C N V e np=ni 2

Carrier concentration calculations:

[( ]
1

n=
N D−N A
2
+
N D −N A 2
2
+n 2
i ) 2

[( ]
n2 1

)
2
i N A −N D N A−N D 2
p= = + +n 2
n 2 2 i

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UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

Determination of Fermi-level:

Resistivity:
1
ρ=
q ( μn n+ μ p p )

Continuity equations
∂n 1
= ∇⋅J̄ n + α r n2i + g opt −α r np
∂ t qn
∂p 1
=− ∇⋅J̄ p + α r n2i + g opt −α r np
∂t qp
ρ
∇⋅Ē=
Poisson’s equation: 4 πε o where ρ =q ( p−n+ N D+ − N A− )

Schrodinger’s equation:
( −
ℏ2 2
2m )
∇ +V Ψ ( x , y , z)=EΨ ( x , y , z)

Drift-diffusion equations
J̄ n =qμ n n Ē+qD n ∇ n
J̄ p =qμ p p Ē−qD p ∇ p

Total current, J = Jn+ Jp

Diffusion length for minority carrier electron in p-type material:

Ln = √ D n τ n

Diffusion length for minority carrier hole in n-type material:

L p =√ D p τ p

Junctions:

( )
1/ 2
8 πε ( N D + N A )
w=
q NDN A
( V bi ±V A )

( )
1/ 2
8 πε NA
q N D ( N D + N A ) ( bi
x n= V ±V A )

( ))
1/ 2
8 πε ND
q N A ( N D + N A ) ( bi
x p= V ±V A

Excess minority carrier concentration at the edges of the depletion regions:

Δn p (−x p )=n p 0 ( e −1 )
qV A / kT

Δp n ( x n )=p n 0 ( e −1 )
qV A / kT

Minority carrier diffusion length:

This question paper consists of 5 questions on 6 printed pages.
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UGEA3343 SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS

Ln = √ D n τ n

Ideal Diode IV Characteristics:

I =qA
( D n n2i
Ln N A
+
D p n2i
Lp N D ) ( e qV A / kT
−1 )

BJT:

Ideal BJT IV characteristics:

This question paper consists of 5 questions on 6 printed pages.