P-N Junction - Electrostatics
P type: Fixed ionized acceptors (-) & mobile holes (+)
N-type: Fixed ionized donors (+) & mobile electrons (-)
P-type N-type
After joining excess holes
flow from P to N, excess
electrons flow from N to P Before joining
Ionized acceptors (in P) and After joining
ionized donors (in N) are + +
exposed (depletion region), + +
field (E) develops
E
Built-in field in depletion region
Further carrier flow is stopped
1
Equilibrium
No current flows - Invariance of EF
P-type N-type
EC P-type N-type
EF
EV
Built-in potential in
depletion region
Quadratic
V0 dependence
+ +
+ +
E
E E
Built-in field in depletion region
distance
2
Forward bias
Apply -ve voltage (V) to N w.r.t P
N side Quasi Fermi level goes up
Reduction of band offset & potential
Reduction of depletion layer width and E
Built-in potential in depletion
region: Decrease
P-type V0 V P-type N-type
FP FN +
N-type +
E E
Built-in field in depletion region: Reduction
FN FP = V 3
Reverse bias
Apply +ve voltage (V) to N w.r.t P
N side Quasi Fermi level goes down
Increase in band offset & potential
Increase in depletion layer width and E
Built-in potential in depletion
region: Increase N-type
P-type P-type N-type
V0 + V
FP + + +
FN + + +
E
E Built-in field in depletion region: Increase
FP FN = V 4
Electrostatics of PN junction: Equilibrium
+ +
+ +
r q.N A (p - type)
r
r q.N D (n - type)
dE q.N A
; x p0 x 0
dx si
dE q.N D
; 0 x xn 0
dx si
x = -xp0 x = xn0
x=0
5
Calculation of Electric Field
+ + x p 0 x 0; E 0 at x x p 0
+ +
q.N A
r E ( x p 0 x)
si
0 x xn 0 ; E 0 at x xn 0
E
q.N D
E ( xn 0 x )
Emax si
q.N A q.N D
Emax x p0 xn 0
si si
x = -xp0 x = xn0
x=0
N A x p 0 N D xn 0
6
Work out the steps
Calculation of Potential
+ + x p 0 x 0; V 0 at x x p 0
+ +
q.N A
r V ( x p 0 x) 2
2 si
0 x xn 0 ; V V0 at x xn 0
E
q.N D
Emax
V V0 ( xn 0 x ) 2
2 si
V0 x0
V
q.N A q.N D
x p0 xn 0 2 V0
2
x = -xp0 x = xn0
x=0
2 si 2 si
7
Work out the steps
Calculation of depletion layer
q.N A q.N D
x p0 xn 0 2 V0
2
2 si 2 si
N A x p 0 N D xn 0
2 siV0 ND What happens
x p0 if NA >> ND?
qN A ( N A N D )
2 siV0 NA
xn 0
qN D ( N A N D )
2 siV0 ( N A N D )
W xn 0 x p 0
q N AND Work out the steps 8
Calculation of built-in potential (V0)
Equilibrium: Both Jn and Jp are individually zero
P-type N-type Excess electrons try to
jump over the barrier get
repelled
Excess holes try to float
over the barrier get
E
repelled
dn
J n qn n E qDn 0
dx
kT nn 0 kT N A N D
V0 nn 0 V0 ln ln
kT dn 2
dV
q np 0 q ni
0
q np0 n Work out the steps 9
Equilibrium: Carrier density across junction
No net current flow
-xp0 x=0 xn0
kT nn 0 kT p p 0 pp0=NA nn0=ND
V0 ln
q n p 0 q pn 0
ln
np0=ni2/NA
pn0=ni2/ND
EF + +
+ +
P-type N-type
E E
Built-in field in depletion region
10
Forward bias: Carrier density across junction
Electron injection from N to P
Hole injection from P to N -xp x=0 xn
Carriers recombine in depletion
and quasi-neutral regions
FP FN +
+
P-type E N-type
E
Built-in field in depletion region: Reduction
FN FP = V 11
Forward bias: Carrier density across junction
kT nn 0 kT p p 0
V0 V ln ln
-xp x=0 xn
q n p q pn
Replace V0 in equilibrium expression np pn
2
ni
n p n p 0e qV / kT
; n p0 +
NA +
P-type E N-type
2
ni
pn pn 0 e qV / kT
; pn 0
ND Work out the steps
12
Reverse bias: Carrier density across junction
Much larger barrier
Carriers generate in depletion -xp x=0 xn
and quasi neutral region
Injection of holes from N to P
Injection of electrons from P to N
FP + + +
FN + + +
P-type N-type
E
E
FP FN = V 13
Reverse bias: Carrier density across junction
kT nn 0 kT p p 0
V0 V ln
q n p q pn
ln -xp x=0 xn
Replace V0 in equilibrium expression
2
qV / kT ni np pn
n p n p 0e ; n p0 + + +
NA + + +
N-type
2 P-type E
qV / kT ni
pn pn 0 e ; pn 0
ND Work out the steps
14
Forward bias: Current flow (Full picture)
J (total)
Jp (drift) Jn (drift)
Jn (diffusion) Jp (diffusion)
Carrier density
pp=NA nn=ND
np pn
-xp x=0 xn
P-type N-type
Drift & Recombination Diffusion & Recombination15
in depletion region in quasi-neutral region
Forward bias: Current flow (Simple theory)
J (total)
Basic theory
Jp (diffusion) at x=xn
+
Jn (diffusion) at x=-xp
-xp x=0 xn
Ignore recombination in depletion region 16
Minority carrier continuity equation
Neglect drift (as density is small for minority carrier),
transport due to diffusion (gradient can be large)
dn
J n qDn ; n n0 n For low level condition
dx
d n d 2
n n
J p qD p
dp
; p p0 p dt D
dx
n
dx 2 n
dn d n dp d 2 p p
Dp
2
Dn 2
( R G) dt dx 2 p
dt dx
dp d 2 p
Dp 2
( R G)
dt dx 17
Contribution from Quasi-Neutral region
Diffusion of holes in n-type (shift origin to xn)
d p p
2
dp
Dp 0; J p (0) qD p x 0
dx 2
p dx
x / Lp
p p(0)e ; L p D p p
Do the steps
Dp D p ni 2 qV / kT
J p ( 0) q p (0) q (e 1)
Lp Lp N D
2
Dn ni
Similarly, J n (0) q (e qV / kT 1)
Ln N A
18
Total current density (quasi-neutral region)
D p ni 2 Dn ni 2 qV / kT
J q (e 1)
L p N D Ln N A
Conventional current expression, automatically
takes care of current in reverse bias
What is the current
J J 0 (e qV / kT
1) density expression for p+n
junction?
19
Various regions of Diode I-V Characteristics
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