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Assignment 3 Solution

The document contains solutions to an assignment on carrier transport, generation, and recombination in semiconductors, covering various concepts such as carrier lifetime, electron mobility, and recombination processes. It includes multiple-choice questions related to semiconductor physics, with solutions provided for calculations involving drift velocity and donor concentration. Key topics addressed include the effects of electric fields, band bending, and low-level injection conditions in n-type semiconductors.

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Kalu Bhai
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2 views

Assignment 3 Solution

The document contains solutions to an assignment on carrier transport, generation, and recombination in semiconductors, covering various concepts such as carrier lifetime, electron mobility, and recombination processes. It includes multiple-choice questions related to semiconductor physics, with solutions provided for calculations involving drift velocity and donor concentration. Key topics addressed include the effects of electric fields, band bending, and low-level injection conditions in n-type semiconductors.

Uploaded by

Kalu Bhai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solar Photovoltaics: Principles, Technologies, and Materials

Week 3: Carrier transport, generation, and recombination in semiconductors

(Assignment 3 Solution)

1. The carrier lifetime in a semiconductor decreases with:


a. Increasing trap density
b. Decreasing trap density
c. Increasing donor concentration
d. Decreasing donor concentration

2. The electron diffusion current in a semiconductor is due to:


a. Electric field
b. Defects
c. Carrier concentration gradient
d. Both carrier concentration gradient and electric field

3. The recombination process most likely to take place in trap-free heavily doped semiconductors
is/are:
a. Non-radiative recombination
b. Auger recombination
c. SRH recombination
d. Radiative recombination

4. When an electric field of intensity 15 V/cm is applied across a semiconductor at a certain


temperature, the average drift velocity of free electrons is 71 m/s. The electron mobility (in cm2/V-
s) in the semiconductor is:
a. 1.33 × 103
b. 3.45 × 103
c. 6.25 × 102
d. 4.73 × 102
e. 5.01 × 102
Solution: 𝑉𝑑 = 𝜇𝐸
𝑉𝑑
𝜇= 𝐸
71×102 𝑐𝑚/𝑠
𝜇= 15 𝑉/𝑐𝑚

𝝁 = 𝟒. 𝟕𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟐 𝒄𝒎𝟐 𝑽−𝟏 𝒔−𝟏

5. Which of the following is the reason for band bending observed in semiconductor materials?
a. Presence of Electric field
b. Absence of electric field
c. No concentration gradient
d. Concentration gradient

6. Which of the following parameter(s) cannot be determined from the Hall measurements?
a. Charge carrier density
b. Charge carrier lifetime
c. Charge carrier type
d. Charge carrier mobility
e. Charge carrier diffusion length

7. Which of the following is TRUE for an n-type semiconductor under low-level injection conditions?
a. ∆𝑛𝑛 ≫ 0
b. ∆𝑝𝑛 ≫ ∆𝑛𝑝
c. ∆𝒏𝒏 = 𝟎
d. ∆𝑝𝑛 = 0

8. The absorption of a photon of energy Eph in a semiconductor material with band gap Eg, takes
place only when:
a. 𝐸𝑝ℎ < 𝐸𝑔
b. 𝐸𝑝ℎ ≪ 𝐸𝑔
𝐸𝑔
c. 𝐸𝑝ℎ = 3
0.5
d. 𝐸𝑝ℎ = (𝐸𝑔 )
e. 𝑬𝒑𝒉 > 𝑬𝒈

9. Which of the following factor(s) affect the surface recombination?


a. Thermal velocity
b. Capture cross-section
c. Carrier diffusivity
d. Surface trap density

10. The absorption coefficient (𝛼ℎ𝜈 ) in case of direct band gap semiconductors is given by:
ℎ𝜈 3⁄
a. (ℎ𝜈 + 𝐸𝑔 ) 2
𝐵∗
𝐵∗ 2⁄
b. ℎ𝜈
(ℎ𝜈 − 𝐸𝑔 ) 3

𝐵∗ 1⁄ 3⁄
c. ( ) 2 (ℎ𝜈 − 𝐸𝑔 ) 4
ℎ𝜈
𝑩∗ 𝟑⁄
d. (𝒉𝝂 − 𝑬𝒈 ) 𝟐
𝒉𝝂
𝐵∗ 4⁄
e. ℎ𝜈
(ℎ𝜈 − 𝐸𝑔 ) 3

11. The correct relationship between minority carrier lifetime and diffusion length in an n-type
semiconductor is
a. 𝐿𝑛 = √𝐷𝑛 𝜏𝑛

𝐷𝑝
b. 𝐿𝑝 = √ ⁄𝜏𝑝

c. 𝑳𝒑 = √𝑫𝒑 𝝉𝒑

d. 𝐿𝑝 = √𝜏𝑝 𝐷𝑝
𝜏
e. 𝐿𝑝 = √ 𝑝⁄𝐷
𝑝

12. The electrical resistivity of an n-type semiconductor is 10-2 Ω-cm with electron and hole mobilities
of 750 and 490 cm2V-1s-1. The donor concentration (in cm-3) in the semiconductor would be:
a. 1.25 × 1017
b. 4.66 × 1018
c. 6.45 × 1017
d. 7.25 × 1018
e. 8.33 × 1017

1
Solution: 𝜌= 𝑁𝐷 𝑒𝜇𝑛
1
𝑁𝐷 = 𝜌𝑒𝜇𝑛
1
𝑁𝐷 = 10−2 ×1.6 × 10−19 ×750
1
𝑁𝐷 = 10−2 ×1.6 × 10−19 ×750

𝑵𝑫 = 𝟖. 𝟑𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟕 𝒄𝒎−𝟑

13. Which of the following represents the dependence of charge density on electric field in the
depletion region (E: electric field, V: electric potential, x: direction coordinate)?
a. Charge density is directly proportional to (dE/dx)
b. Charge density is inversely proportional to (dE/dx)
c. Charge density is inversely proportional to (dV/dx)
d. Charge density is directly proportional to (dV/dx)
e. Charge density is inversely proportional to -(dV/dx)

14. Which of the following specifies the low-level injection condition in an n-type semiconductor?
(Here, n and p are carrier concentrations under arbitrary conditions, n0 and p0 are the equilibrium
carrier concentrations, ∆𝑛 and ∆𝑝 are deviations in the carrier concentrations from their
equilibrium values)
a. ∆𝒑 ≪ 𝒏𝟎 , 𝒏 ≈ 𝒏𝟎
b. ∆𝑛 ≪ 𝑝0 , 𝑝 ≈ 𝑝0
c. ∆𝑝 ≫ 𝑛0 , 𝑛 ≈ 𝑛0
d. ∆𝑛 ≫ 𝑝0 , 𝑝 ≈ 𝑝0

15. At which position in the bandgap do the shallow trap levels reside in an n-type semiconductor?
a. Close to Fermi level
b. Just below the valence band
c. Just above the conduction band
d. Deep below the valence band
e. Just below the conduction band

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