Electronic Physics Dr.

Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Semiconductors

Intrinsic
In term of energy bands model, semiconductors can defined as that
material which have almost an empty conduction band and almost filled
valence band with a very narrow energy gap (≈1eV). Common examples
of such semiconductors are germanium and silicon which have forbidden
energy gaps of 0.7eV and 1.1eV respectively. Another example for
compound semiconductors III-V such as GaAs, GaN and II-VI compound
semiconductors such as ZnO.

Fig. 4.1 Group semiconductor materials.

Fig. 4.2 Silicon semiconductor materials.

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

At 0 K there no electrons in conduction band and the Valence band is

completely filled, with increase temperature some of the electrons are
liberated into conduction band.

Fig. 4.3 Band diagram Si at 0 K and 300 K

Conductivity of semiconductor increase with temperature. Moreover for

each electron(e) liberated into conduction band a positively charged
hole(h) is created in the valence band.
Semiconductor current consists of movement of electrons and holes in
opposite directions, suppose the covalent bond is broken at A and the
electron has moved through the crystal lattice leaving behind a hole in the
covalent bond. An electron at B may jump into the vacant hole at A and
later, an electron at C may jump into the hole at B and so on. In this way,
by a succession of electron movements, a hole will appear at G and a
negative charge would have moved from G to A It would, however be more
convenient to regard positive charge to have moved from A to G and this
conception gives rise to a hole as a positive charge carrier. It should be
clearly understood that these holes are due to the movement of electrons in
the valence band and. The drift velocity of holes is, much less than the drift
velocity of electrons.
An intrinsic semiconductor may be defined as one in which the number of
conduction electrons is equal to the number of holes.

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Fig. 4.4 Movement of holes in valance band

ni  pi

where ni is the number of electrons in the conduction band

pi is the number of holes in the valence band

ni2  ni pi

The forbidden energy gap Eg is

E g  Ec  Ev Ec
Eg
Ev

Fig. 4.4 Conduction band and valance band

Where Ec is the conduction band edge and

Ev is the valence band edge

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

In a semiconductor, charge carriers are both electrons and holes (these

are called thermally-generated charge carriers) then the current flow due to
the movement of electrons and holes in opposite direction. Even though
the number of electrons equals the number of holes, hole mobility (μp) and
electron mobility (μn) are different.

  ni en  pi e p  ni e( n   p )

J  E  ni e( n   p ) E

1
v    E
Dn  n

vDp   p E

Example
Calculate σ for pure Silicon if only one electron liberated from 1013
valence electrons, if density 2.33×103kg/m3, atomic weight 28.086,
μn=0.135 m2/Vs, μp=0.048 m2/Vs .
Solution

N Avo  Density
N  5  1028 / m3
Atomicweight

No. of valence electrons= 4×5×1028=2×1029/ m3

No. of conduction electrons=2×1029/ 1013=2×1016/ m3

ni=pi=2×1016/ m3

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

  ni e(n   p )  5.8 104 S / m

Example
A potential difference of 10 V is applied longitudinally to a rectangular
specimen of intrinsic Ge of length 2.5cm, width 0.4cm and thickness
0.15cm. Calculate

(i) electron and hole drift velocities, (ii) σ of Ge if intrinsic carrier density
is 2.5×1019/ m3, and (in) the total current, Given μn=0.38m2/Vs,
μp=0.18m2/Vs .

Solution
(i)

10
vDn  n E  0.38 2
 152ms 1
2.5 *10

10
vDp   p E  018 2
 72ms 1
2.5 *10
(ii)

  ni e( n   p )  2.24S / m

(iii)

 10 
I  EA  2.24 2 (0.4  0.15  104
)  5.38mA
 2.5 10 

Physical constants
Boltzmann's constant k=1.38×10-23 J/K =8.62×10-5 eV/K
Plank's constant h=6.625×10-34 J.s =4.135×10-15 eV.s
kT=0.0259 eV

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

The concentration of electrons in the conduction and is

n  E N ( E ) f E , T dE

c

n  N c exp( ( Ec  EF ) / kT )
3
 2m kT 
* 2
Nc  2 n 
 h 2 
 
where the parameter Nc is called the effective density of states function in
the conduction band and its value is 2.8×1025/m3 for Silicon and
1.04×1025/m3 for Germanium and mn* is the effective mass of the electron.
Similarly the concentration of holes in the valence and is

p  N v exp( ( EF  Ev ) / kT )

3
 2m kT 
* 2

N v  2 p 
 h 2 
 
The parameter Nv is called the effective density of states function in the
valence band and its value is 1.04×1025/m3 for Silicon and 6×1024/m3 for
Germanium, and mn* is the effective mass of the hole.

For intrinsic semiconductor

ni=pi

N c exp( ( Ec  EF ) / kT )  N v exp( ( EF  Ev ) / kT )

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Nv
 exp((( Ec  EF )  ( EF  Ev )) / kT )
Nc
Nv
 exp(( Ec  EF  EF  Ev ) / kT )
Nc
Nv
ln  ( Ec  Ev  2 EF ) / kT
Nc
Nv
kT ln   Ec  Ev  2 EF
Nc

Ec  Ev kT Nv
EF   ln
2 2 Nc

The first term (Ec+Ev/2) is the energy exactly midway between Ec and Ev
or the midgap energy

Ec  Ev
Emidgap 
2
3
 2m kT  * 2
Nc  2 n 
 h 2 
 
3
 2m kT * 2
Ec  Ev m*p
N v  2 p 
EF 
3
 kT ln *
 h 2 
  2 4 mn

 m* 
EF  Emidgap  kT ln *p 
3
4 m 
 n

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

where m* is the effective mass, take into account the particle mass and also
takes into account the effect of the internal forces. If mn*= mp* then the
intrinsic Fermi level is exactly in the center of the bandgap. If mn*> mp* the
intrinsic Fermi level is slightly below the center. If mn*< mp* it is slightly
above the center. Hence, the Fermi level of intrinsic semiconductor
generally lies very close to the middle of band gap.
Example
Calculate the position of the intrinsic Fermi level with respect to the
center of the bandgap in silicon at T=300 K. The effective mass in silicon
are mn*= 1.08m0 and mp*= 0.56m0 .
Solution
The intrinsic Fermi level with respect to the center of the bandgap is

 m*  3  0.56 
EF  Emidgap  kT ln *p   0.0259 ln
3

4 m  4  1.08 
 n

EF  Emidgap  0.0128eV  12.8meV

The intrinsic Fermi level in silicon is -12.8meV below the midgap energy.
If we compare 12.8 meV to (1.12/2)=0.56eV =560meV. We may
approximate that the intrinsic Fermi level to be in the center of the
bandgap.
The probability of the states not occupied by an electron is given as 1-
f(E,T). The function f(E,T) is symmetrical with the function 1-f(E,T)
about the Fermi energy EF as shown in the figure below

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

1
1  f ( E, T ) 
E E
1  exp F 

 kT 

Example
Determine the temperature at which there is a 1 percent that an energy
state 0.3 eV below the Fermi level is empty.

Solution

1
1  f ( E,T ) 
E E
1  exp F 
E  EF  0.3  kT 

1 1

100  E  E  0.3 
1  exp F 0.3 F 
99  exp 
 kT 
kT 
 
 0.3 
4.58512   
 kT 
Solving for kT, we find kT=0.0652 eV, so that the temperature is T=756.
==============================================

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

E E E
N(E)
Ec

EF f(E,T) 1-f(E,T)

Ev
N(E)

E
E
N(E)
N(E) f(E,T) Electrons Ec

EF

N(E)(1-f(E,T))
N(E) Holes

Fig. 4.5 The density of states function N(E), the Fermi-Dirac distribution function f(E), and
areas representing electron and hole concentrations for the case when EF is near the mid gap
energy.

We are assuming that the Fermi energy is within the forbidden energy
band gap. For electrons in the conduction band. If we have, (E-Ec)>>kT.
The Fermi probability function reduces to the Boltzmann approximation.

f ( E, T ) 
1
 exp 

 E  EF 
 E  EF  
1  exp   kT 

 kT 

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

For energy states in the valence band, E<Ev. If (EF-Ev)>>kT. The Fermi
probability function reduces to the Boltzmann approximation.

1  f ( E, T ) 
1  E E
 exp  F
 
E E 
1  exp F   kT 

 kT 
Example
Calculate the probability that a state in the conduction band is occupied
by an electron and calculate the thermal equilibrium electron
concentration in Si at T=300 K. If the Fermi energy is 0.25 eV below the
conduction band. The value of Nc=2.8×1025/m3 at T=300K.
Solution
The probability that an energy state E=Ec is occupied by an electron is
given by

f ( E, T ) 
1 
 E  EF
 exp 

 E  EF  
1  exp   kT 

 kT 

 0.25  5
f ( Ec ,300)  exp    6.4310
 0.0259 
The
electron concentration is given by

n  Nc exp(( Ec  EF ) / kT )
 
n  2.8 1025 exp 0.25 / 0.0259
n  1.8  1021 / m3

Example

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Calculate the thermal equilibrium hole concentration at T=400 K.

Assume that the Fermi energy is 0.27 eV above the valence band energy.
The value of Nv at T=300 K is 1.04×1025/m3.

Solution
The parameter values at T=400K are found as
3/ 2
 400 
N v  1.04  10  25
  1.6  1025 / m3
 300 

 400 
kT  0.0259   0.03453eV
 300 

p  Nv exp(( EF  Ev ) / kT )
p  (1.6 1025 ) exp 0.27 / 0.03453

p  6.43  1019 / m3

==============================================
The intrinsic carrier density is obtained from law mass of action

ni2=n p

( Ec  EF  EF  Ev )
ni  N c N v exp( 
2
)
kT

ni  N v N c exp( ( Ec  Ev ) / 2kT )

ni  N v N c exp(  E g / 2kT )

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Example
Calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration in gallium arsenide (GaAs) at
T=300K and at T=450K. The values of Nc and Nv for GaAs are
4.7×1023/m3 and 7×1024/m3, respectively. Both Nc and Nv vary as T3/2. If
Eg of GaAs is 1.42 eV .

Solution
ni  N v N c exp(  E g / 2kT )

ni  4.7 1023  7 1024 exp(1.42 /(2  0.0259))

ni  2.26  1012 m 3

At T=450 K

 450 
kT  0.0259   0.03885eV
 300 

3
 450 
ni  4.7  10  7  10  
23
 exp(1.42 /(2  0.03885))
24

 300 

ni  3.85  1016 m 3

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 Electronic Physics Dr. Ghusoon Mohsin Ali

Problems
Q1: A bar of intrinsic silicon having a cross section area of 3×10-4 m2 has
an ni=1.5×1016m-3. If µn=0.14 m2/V.s and µp=0.05 m2/V.s. Find the long
of the bar if the current is 1.2mA and the applied voltage is 9V.
(Ans: 1.026mm)

Q2: Calculate the thermal equilibrium electron and hole concentration in

silicon at T=300K for the case when the Fermi energy level is 0.22 eV
below the conduction band energy. Eg= 1.12 eV. The values of Nc and Nv
are 2.8×1025/m3 and 1.04×1025/m3, respectively.
(Ans: n=5.73×1021/m3, p=8.43×109/m3)

Q3: Find the intrinsic carrier concentration in silicon at (a) T=200K, (b)
T=400K. The values of Nc and Nv are 2.8×1025/m3 and 1.04×1025/m3,
respectively.
(Ans: (a) 7.68×1010/m3, (b) 2.38×1018/m3)

Q4: Determine the position of the intrinsic Fermi level with respect to the
center of the bandgap in GaAs at T=300K. mn*=0.067 m0, mp*=0.48 m0
(Ans: -38.2meV)

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