Lecture #3

OUTLINE
Drift Current
Diffusion Current
pn junction

 The two basic processes which cause

electrons and holes to move in a
semiconductor are: (a) drift, which is
the movement caused by electric fields,
and (b) diffusion, which is the flow
caused by variations in the
concentration, that is, concentration
gradients.

Electron and Hole Concentrations

n = electron concentration
p = hole concentration

n n p
2
i

n-type:
n = ND, the donor concentration

p ni2 / N D

p-type:
p = NA, the acceptor concentration
2
i

n n / NA

DRIFT CURRENT
An electric field E applied in one direction produces a
force on the electrons in the opposite direction, because of
the electrons negative charge. The electrons acquire a
drift velocity vdn (in cm/s) which can be written as

n - electron mobility , cm2/Vs

n is typically 1350 cm2/Vs

 The electron drift produces a drift current density

Jn (A/cm2) given by

where n is the electron concentration (#/cm3) and

e, in this context, is the magnitude of the electronic
charge.

 The holes acquire a drift velocity vdp (in cm/s), which can
be written as
where p is a constant called the hole mobility, cm2/Vs.
The hole drift produces a drift current density Jp (A/cm2)
given by

 The total drift current density is then

written as

where is the conductivity of the

semiconductor in (cm)1
= 1/ is the resistivity of the
semiconductor in (cm).

Drift Currents

Electrons and hole flow in opposite directions when under the influence of an electric
field at different velocities.
The drift currents associated with the electrons and holes are in the same direction.

Example Drift
Calculate the drift current density for a
given semiconductor.
Consider silicon at T = 300 K doped
with arsenic atoms at a concentration of
Nd = 8 1015 cm3 . Assume mobility
values of n = 1350 cm2/Vs and p =
480 cm2/Vs. Assume the applied
electric field is 100 V/cm.

Diffusion Currents Density

particles flow from a region of high
concentration to a region of lower
concentration

Diffusion Currents

Both electrons and holes flow from high concentration to low.

The diffusion current associated with the electrons flows in the opposite direction when
compared to that of the holes.

 The diffusion current density due to the

diffusion of electrons can be written as

where e, in this context, is the magnitude of the electronic

charge,
dn/dx is the gradient of the electron concentration,
Dn is the electron diffusion coefficient.

 The diffusion current density due to the

diffusion of holes can be written as (for
one dimension)

where
e is still the magnitude of the electronic charge
dp/dx is the gradient of the hole concentration,
Dp is the hole diffusion coefficient

 Calculate the diffusion current density

for a given semiconductor.
Consider silicon at T = 300 K. Assume
the electron concentration varies
linearly from n = 1012 cm3 to n = 1016
cm3 over the distance from x = 0 to x =
3 m. Assume Dn = 35 cm2/s.

The pn Junctions
p-n Junctions

A simplified 1-D sketch of a p-n junction (a)

has a doping profile (b).
The 3-D representation (c) shows the cross
sectional area of the junction.

Built-in Potential
This movement of
carriers creates a space
charge or depletion
region with an induced
electric field near x = 0.
A potential voltage, vbi,
is developed across the
junction.

 The positively charged region and the negatively charged

region comprise the space-charge region, or depletion
region, of the pn junction, in which there are essentially no
mobile electrons or holes. Because of the electric field in the
spacecharge region, there is a potential difference across
that region This potential difference is called the built-in
potential barrier, or built-in voltage, and is given by

where VT kT/e, k = Boltzmanns constant, T = absolute

temperature, e = the magnitude of the electronic charge,
Na and Nd are the net acceptor and donor concentrations in
the p- and n-regions, respectively. The parameter
VT is called the thermal voltage and is approximately VT =
0.026 V at room temperature, T = 300 K.

 Objective: Calculate the built-in

potential barrier of a pn junction.
Consider a silicon pn junction at T =
300 K, doped at Na = 1016 cm3 in the
p-region and Nd = 1017cm3 in the nregion.

Reverse Bias

Increase in space-charge width, W, as VR increases to VR+VR.

Creation of more fixed charges (-Q and +Q) leads to junction capacitance.

 This junction capacitance, or

depletion layer capacitance, can be
written in the form

where Cjo is the junction capacitance at zero applied

voltage.

 Calculate the junction capacitance of a

pn junction.
Consider a silicon pn junction at T = 300
K, with doping concentrations of Na =
1016 cm3 and Nd = 1015 cm3. Assume
that ni = 1.5 1010 cm3 and let Cjo = 0.5
pF. Calculate the junction capacitance at
VR = 1V and VR = 5V.
Answers 0.312pf and 0.168pf

Forward Biased p-n Junction

Applied voltage, vD, induces an electric field, EA, in the opposite direction as the original
space-charge electric field, resulting in a smaller net electric field and smaller barrier
between n and p regions.

Minority Carrier Concentrations

Gradients in minority carrier concentration generates diffusion currents in

diode when forward biased.

Ideal
Current-Voltage
(I-V)
Characteristics
The p-n junction only conducts
significant current in the forwardbias region.
iD is an exponential function in
this region.
Essentially no current flows in
reverse bias.

Ideal Diode Equation

A fit to the I-V characteristics of a diode yields the following equation,
known as the ideal diode equation:

I D I s (e

qv D
nkT

1)

kT/q is also known as the thermal voltage, VT.

VT = 25.9 mV when T = 300K, room temperature.

I D I s (e

vD
VT

1)

Example
Determine the current in a pn
junction diode.
Consider a pn junction at T = 300 K
in which IS = 1014 A and n = 1. Find
the diode current for vD = +0.70 V
and vD = 0.70 V.
Answers: 4.94mA and -10-14 A

Ideal Diode Equation

log e
log(iD )
vD log( I s )
nVT
The y intercept is equal to IS.
The slope is proportional to 1/n.
When n = 1, iD increased by ~ one order of
magnitude for every 60-mV increase in vD.

Circuit Symbol

Conventional current direction and polarity of voltage drop is shown

Breakdown Voltage
The magnitude of the breakdown
voltage (BV) is smaller for
heavily doped diodes as compared
to more lightly doped diodes.
Current through a diode increases
rapidly once breakdown has
occurred.

Transient Response

Short reverse-going current pulse flows when the diode is switched from forward bias
to zero or reverse bias as the excess minority carriers are removed.
It is composed of a storage time, ts, and a fall time, tf.

dc Model of Ideal Diode

Equivalent Circuits

Assumes vbi = 0.
No current flows when reverse biased (b).
No internal resistance to limit current when forward biased (c).

Half-Wave Diode Rectifier

Diode only allows current to flow through the resistor when v I 0V. Forwardbias equivalent circuit is used to determine vO under this condition.

Graphical Analysis Technique

Simple diode circuit where ID and VD are not known.

SEATWORK
1. A silicon pn junction at T =
300 K is doped at Nd = 1016
cm3 and Na = 1017 cm3.
The junction capacitance is
to be Cj = 0.8pF when a
reversebias voltage of VR =
5V is applied. Find the zerobiased junction capacitance
Cjo.

2. (a) A silicon pn junction at

T = 300 K has a reversesaturation current of IS = 2
1014 A. Determine the
required forward-bias voltage
to produce a current of (i) ID
= 50 A and (ii) ID = 1 mA.

 2.21pf

(a) (i) 0.563 V, (ii)

0.641 V;

Load Line Analysis

The x intercept of the load line is the open
circuit voltage and the y intercept is the
short circuit current.
The quiescent point or Q-point is the
intersection of diode I-V characteristic with
the load line.
I-V characteristics of diode must be known.

Piecewise Linear Model

Two linear approximations are

used to form piecewise linear
model of diode.

Seatwork

Diode Piecewise Equivalent Circuit

The diode is replaced by a battery with voltage, V, with a a resistor, rf, in series
when in the on condition (a) and is replaced by an open when in the off
condition, VD < V.
If rf = 0, VD = V when the diode is conducting.

Q-point

The x intercept of the load line is the open circuit voltage and the y intercept is the
short circuit current.
The Q-point is dependent on the power supply voltage and the resistance of the rest of
the circuit as well as on the diode I-V characteristics.

Load Line:
Reverse Biased Diode

The Q-point is always ID = 0 and VD = the open circuit voltage when using the
piecewise linear equivalent circuit.

PSpice Analysis

Circuit schematic

Diode voltage

Diode current

ac Circuit Analysis

Combination of dc and sinusoidal input voltages modulate the operation of

the diode about the Q-point.

Equivalent Circuits

When ac signal is small, the dc operation can be decoupled from the ac operation.
First perform dc analysis using the dc equivalent circuit (a).
Then perform the ac analysis using the ac equivalent circuit (b).

Minority Carrier Concentration

Time-varying excess charge
leads to diffusion capacitance.

Small Signal Equivalent Model

Simplified model, which
can only be used when
the diode is forward
biased.

Complete model

Photogenerated Current

When the energy of the photons is greater than Eg, the photons energy can be used to
break covalent bonds and generate an equal number of electrons and holes to the number
of photons absorbed.

Optical Transmission
System

LED (Light Emitting Diode) and photodiode are p-n junctions.

Schottky Barrier Diode

A metal layer replaces the p region
of the diode.

Circuit symbol showing

conventional current direction of
current and polarity of voltage
drop.

Comparison of I-V Characteristics:

Forward Bias

The built-in voltage of the Schottky

barrier diode, V(SB), is about as
large as the built-in voltage of the p-n
junction diode, V(pn),.

Zener Diode
I-V Characteristics
Circuit Symbol

Usually operated in reverse bias region near

the breakdown or Zener voltage, VZ.
Note the convention for current and polarity
of voltage drop.

Example 1.13
Given

VZ = 5.6V
rZ = 0

Find a value for R such that the

current through the diode is limited
to 3mA

VPS VZ
I
R
VPS VZ 10V 5.6V
R

1.47 k
I
3mA
PZ I ZV Z 3mA 5.6V 1.68mW

Test Your Understanding 1.15

Given

V (pn) = 0.7V
V (SB) = 0.3V

rf = 0 for both diodes

Calculate ID in each diode.

VPS V

R
4V 0.7V
I
0.825mA for the p - n junction diode
4k
4V 0.3V
I
0.925mA for the Schottky diode
4k

Digital Thermometer
Use the temperature dependence of the forward-bias
characteristics to design a simple electronic thermometer.

Solution
Given: IS = 10-13 A at T = 300K
E

e 1.12V

Assume: Ideal diode equation can be simplified.

I D I Se

VD
VT
Eg

ni2 e

Eg
kT

VD
VT

eVD1
kT1

I D1 e kT1 e
E g eV
D2
I D2
e kT2 e kT2
E g T2
Eg
T2
T2
T2
VD 2
( )
VD1 ( ) 1.12(1 ) VD1 ( )
e T1
e
T1
T1
T1
15V VD
ID
I Se
R

VD
VT

Thermometer cont
VD
VT

15V VD
13
ID

10
A e at T 300K
3
15 x10
Through trial and error : VD 0.5976V and I D 0.960mA
To find temperature dependence, let T1 300K.
T
VD 1.12 0.522(
)V
300

Variation on Problem 1.42

Using the piecewise model
First, determine if the diodes are on or off. Is the open
circuit voltage for each diode greater or less than
VV and have the correct polarity?

VI = 5V

Variation cont
a) Test what would happen if D3 was not conducting:
If there enough voltage available to turn on D1 and D2?
The power supply is +5V and is attached on the p side of D1.
The n side of D1 is attached to the p side of D2.
So, there is sufficient voltage and with the correct polarity
from the power supply to turn on both diodes.
A check to verify that both diodes are conducting the
open circuit voltage for each diode is equal to 5V, which
means that the load line will intersect the conducting section
of the diodes piecewise model

Variation cont
b) Next question, if current flows through
the 1k resistor with D1 and D2 on, is the
voltage drop greater than or equal to V?
If D3 is open, the voltage drop across the
VR 5V 0.65V 0.65V 3.7V
1k resistor is:
Therefore, there is sufficient voltage to turn D3 on.

Problem 1.44

First, determine if the diode is on or off. Is the

open circuit voltage for the diode greater or less
than V?

The voltage at the node connected to the p side of the diode is

2kW 5V/(4kW) = 2.5V
The voltage at the node connected to n side of the diode is
2kW 5V/(5kW) = 2V
The open circuit voltage is equal to the voltage at the p side minus the voltage at the n
side of the diode:
Voc = 2.5V 2V = 0.5V.
To turn on the diode, Voc must be V.

Variation on Problems
Create a piecewise model for a device that has the following I-V characteristics

Piecewise models:
VI < 2V, ID = 0

Variation cont
When VI 2V

V = 2V

10V 2V
rf
800
10mA

Variation on Problems

Variation cont
For -0.7V < VI < 0.7V, II = 0

The device under test (DUT) acts like an open and can be modeled as
such over this voltage range.

Variation cont
When VI 0.7V, II changes linearly with voltage

5V 0.7V
rf
2.35k and V 0.7V
2mA

Variation cont
Since the I-V characteristics of the device under test
(DUT) are symmetrically about VD = 0, a similar model
can be used for VI - 0.7V as for VI 0.7V
For VI - 0.7V:

5V 0.7V
rf
2.35k and V 0.7V
2mA

Variation on Problems

Design a circuit that

has a voltage transfer
function that is shown
to the left.

Variation cont
For 0V vI < 8.2V, the voltage transfer function is linear.
When vI = 0V, vO = 0V so there is no need to include a battery in the piecewise
linear model for this voltage range.

Since there is a 1:1 correspondence

between v1 and vO, this section of
the transfer function can be
modeled as a 1 resistor.

Variation cont
When vI 8.2V, the output voltage is pinned at 8.2V, just as if the device suddenly
became a battery.
Hence, the model for this section is a battery, where V = 8.2V.

Circuit

Variation cont
Or, if you assumed a more common V, say of 0.7V, then the circuit would be: