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Lecture2 PDF

This document summarizes carrier drift, diffusion, and generation-recombination (R&G) processes in semiconductors. It describes that: 1) Carriers can drift under an applied electric field or diffuse due to concentration gradients. The drift velocity is proportional to mobility and electric field. Diffusion is described by Fick's law. 2) Thermal R&G processes attempt to maintain equilibrium carrier concentrations. The rate of thermal R equals the rate of thermal G. Excess carriers from light illumination decay over the minority carrier lifetime. 3) As an example, the decay of excess hole concentration over depth in illuminated p-type silicon is described as an exponential function of the square root

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Maciel Gomes Dos Santos
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76 views

Lecture2 PDF

This document summarizes carrier drift, diffusion, and generation-recombination (R&G) processes in semiconductors. It describes that: 1) Carriers can drift under an applied electric field or diffuse due to concentration gradients. The drift velocity is proportional to mobility and electric field. Diffusion is described by Fick's law. 2) Thermal R&G processes attempt to maintain equilibrium carrier concentrations. The rate of thermal R equals the rate of thermal G. Excess carriers from light illumination decay over the minority carrier lifetime. 3) As an example, the decay of excess hole concentration over depth in illuminated p-type silicon is described as an exponential function of the square root

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Maciel Gomes Dos Santos
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© © All Rights Reserved
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3.

15

Carrier Drift, Diffusion and R&G

C.A. Ross, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Reference: Pierret, chapter 3.

Electron and holes can drift, diffuse, and undergo generation and

recombination (R&G).

Drift:

thermal velocity 1/2 mv2thermal = 3/2 kT

drift velocity, vd = µE (µ = mobility, E = field)

Current density (electrons) J = n e vd


Current density (electrons & holes) J = e (n µn + p µh)E
Conductivity σ = J/E = e (n µn + p µh)

Magnitude of mobility (cm2/Vs)


µn µh
Si 1500 450
Ge 3900 1900
Ag 50 -
GaAs 8500 400

Time between collisions is τ µ = eτ/m*


Distance between collisions is l l = τvthermal

Diffusion
J = eDn ∇n + eDp ∇p
Derivation of the Einstein relation: Dn/µn = kT/e
typical Dn in Si is 40 cm2/s

Carrier R&G
Mechanisms: band-to-band (direct)
RG centers or traps (indirect)

Thermal R and G at equilibrium: R = G


expect R = G = rnp = r ni2 r = rate constant

Handout 2
Shining light, etc. on the semiconductor causes additional R. These excess
carriers nl and pl (nl = pl )decay once the light is turned off.

Illuminated: n-type material

n = ND + nl ~ ND

2
p = ni /ND + pl ~ pl

net rate of change of carriers = R – G = rnp – r ni2

the rate of recombination of the minority carriers is


-dp/dt = r(NDp - ni2) but ni2 = ND(p - pl )
-dp/dt = rND(p – p + pl) = rNDpl

This has a solution pl = pl, t=0 exp (-t/τp), where τp = 1/rND = minority carrier
lifetime.

Example of Carrier Action – Formal solution


A piece of p-type Si is illuminated at one end; how does the carrier
concentration vary with depth x?
dn/dt = dn/dtdrift + dn/dtdiffn + dn/dtthermal RG + dn/dtother RG

= 0 at steady state

n = np + nl where np = ni2/NA
Inside the material there is only thermal R&G:
Gthermal = rni2 = r np NA
Rthermal = rnp ~ r nl NA
R – G = r NA(nl - np) ~ r NAnl = nl/τn
In the steady state,
dn/dt = dn/dtdiffn – (R – G) = 0
dn/dt = 1/e ∇Jdiffn – (R – G) = 0
d2nl /dx2 = nl /τnDn
(since dn/dtdiffn = 1/e ∇Jdiffn = Dnd2n/dx2 from Fick’s law)
solution: nl = nl, x=0 exp (-x/√τnDn )

Generally, if excess carrier concentrations are written as nl or pl, then


dn/dtthermal = - nl/τn or dp/dtthermal = - pl/τp
Minority carrier lifetimes are τn = 1/rNA, or τp = 1/rND,
Minority carrier diffusion lengths are λn = √τnDn, or λp = √τpDp.
If traps dominate the recombination, then τ = 1/r2NT where r2 >> r

Handout 2

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