GLASGOW COLLEGE UESTC

Solution to Mid-term Exam Paper

Semiconductor Physics (UESTC2028)

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Attempt all PARTS. Total 100 marks

Use one answer sheet for each of the questions in this exam.
Show all work on the answer sheet.
For Multiple Choice Questions, use the dedicated answer sheet provided.

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Numbers are on all answer sheets.

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allotted to the part of the question against which the mark is shown. These
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DATA/FORMULAE SHEET IS PROVIDED AT THE END OF PAPER

(Keep or delete as appropriate)

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Page 1 of 8
Physical constants:
Boltzmann’s constant: k = 1.38 × 10-23 J/K = 8.62 × 10-5 eV/K
Electronic charge: e = 1.60 × 10-19 C

Q1 (a) Describe the following concepts:

(i) Elemental semiconductor. [2]

(ii) Doping. [2]

(iii) Quantum numbers. [3]

(iv) Fermi–Dirac probability function. [3]

(v) Fermi energy. [3]

(vi) Complete ionization. [3]

(vii) Acceptor atoms. [3]

(viii) Conductivity. [3]

(ix) Mobility. [3]

Solutions:

(i) Elemental semiconductor: A semiconductor composed of a single species of

atom, such as silicon or germanium. [2]

(ii) Doping: The process of adding specific types of atoms to a semiconductor to

favorably alter the electrical characteristics. [2]

(iii) Quantum numbers: A set of numbers that describes the quantum state of a
particle, such as an electron in an atom. [3]

(iv) Fermi–Dirac probability function: The function describing the statistical

distribution of electrons among available energy states and the probability that
an allowed energy state is occupied by an electron. [3]

(v) Fermi energy: In the simplest definition, the energy below which all states are
filled with electrons and above which all states are empty at T = 0 K. [3]

(vi) Complete ionization: The condition when all donor atoms are positively
charged by giving up their donor electrons and all acceptor atoms are negatively
charged by accepting electrons. [3]

(vii) Acceptor atoms: Impurity atoms added to a semiconductor to create a p-type

material. [3]

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(viii) Conductivity: A material parameter related to carrier drift; quantitatively, the
ratio of drift current density to electric field. [3]

(ix) Mobility: The parameter relating carrier drift velocity and electric field. [3]

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Q2 (a) Attempt the following questions:

(i) Draw the (001) plane of a simple cubic lattice. [4]

(ii) Sketch a graph of n0 versus temperature for an n-type material. Give a

brief explanation. [6]

(iii) What is the source of electrons and holes in an intrinsic semiconductor?

[4]

(iv) Derive the fundamental relationship n0p0 = ni2. [7]

(v) Write the equations for the total current density of electrons. [4]

Solutions:

(i) The (100) plane of a simple cubic lattice is plotted as follows.

[4]

(ii) [3]

At low temperature, the impurities in semiconductor are partially ionized or freeze-out.

At moderate temperature, the impurities are completely ionized and the
extrinsic characteristic is dominate. At high temperature, the intrinsic

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Page 4 of 8
 concentration begins to dominate due to the introduction of additional electron-
hole pairs. [3]

(iii) As the temperature begins to increase above 0 K, a few electrons in the valence
band may gain sufficient energy to jump to the conduction band. As an electron
jumps from the valence band to the conduction band, an empty state, or hole, is
created in the valence band. In an intrinsic semiconductor, electrons and holes
are created in pairs by the thermal energy so that the number of electrons in the
conduction band is equal to the number of holes in the valence band. [4]

(iii) According to the Boltzmann statistics,

n0 = Nc · exp[-(Ec - EF)/k0T], and

p0 = Nv · exp[-(EF - Ev)/k0T]. [2]

The product of n0 and p0 can be written as

n0p0 = Nc · Nv· exp[-(Ec - Ev)/k0T] = Nc · Nv· exp(-Eg/k0T). [2]

For an intrinsic semiconductor,

n0 = p0 = ni = sqrt(n0p0) = sqrt[Nc · Nv· exp(-Eg/k0T)]. [2]

From the above equations, n0p0 = ni2. [1]

(v) The total current density of electrons is:

Jn = (Jn)drift + (Jn)diffusion [2]

= enμnE + eDn(dn/dx) [2]

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Q3 (a) A p-type Si semiconductor at T = 300 K is uniformly doped with equilibrium
minority concentration of 103 cm-3. The effective conductance mass of holes is
mc = 0.587m0 (m0 = 9.1×10−31 kg). Consider the impurities are completely
ionized. Assume the following parameters: hole mobility μp = 300 cm2/V·s,
electron mobility μn = 1350 cm2/V·s, and equilibrium intrinsic concentration ni
= 1010 cm-3.

(i) Calculate the value of conductivity. [3]

(ii) Calculate the average free time and average free path when an electric
field of 103 V/cm is applied. [9]

Solutions:

(i) σp = epμp = e(ni2/n0)μp = 1.6×10-19×(1020/1×103)×300 = 4.8 S·cm-1. [3]

(ii) According to the expression μp = eτp/mc, the average free time τp can be determined.

τp = mcμp/e = (300×10-4)×(0.78×9.1×10-31)/1.6×10-19 = 1×10-13 s. [3]

The average drift velocity is:

v = μpE = 300×103 = 3×105 cm/s. [3]

The average free path:

l = vτn = 3×105 ×1×10-13 = 3 ×10-8 cm = 0.3 nm. [3]

(b) Figure 1 shows the electron concentration n(x) of a semiconductor at room

temperature of 300 K. Assume the electron mobility is μn.

(i) Calculate the expression of hole current density Jp(x) when no electric
field is applied. [4]

(ii) If the net current density of holes is zero, determine the value and
direction of the electric field inside the semiconductor. [5]

(ii) Assume n(W)/n0 = 105, calculate the electrostatic potential drop between
x = 0 and x = W. [4]

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 n(x)
n(W)

n0

0 W x

Figure 1

Solutions:
𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0
(i) 𝑛(𝑥) = 𝑛0 + 𝑥
𝑊

𝑑𝑛(𝑥) 𝑘0 𝑇 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 𝑘0 𝑇𝜇n

𝐽n (𝑥) = 𝑒𝐷n =𝑒 𝜇n [ ]= [𝑛(𝑊) − 𝑛0 ] [4]
𝑑𝑥 𝑒 𝑊 𝑊

(ii) 𝑒𝜇n 𝐸(𝑥)𝑛(𝑥) + 𝐽n (𝑥) = 0

𝐽 (𝑥) 𝑘0 𝑇𝜇n [𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 ] 𝑘 𝑇 [𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 ] 𝑘 𝑇 1
𝐸(𝑥) = − 𝑒𝜇n 𝑛(𝑥) = − 0
= − 𝑊𝑒 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0
0
= − 𝑊𝑒 𝑛0 𝑥 [3]
n 𝑊𝑒𝜇n 𝑛(𝑥) 𝑛0 + 𝑥 +
𝑊 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 𝑊

Since the electrons are diffused along the negative direction of x-axis, the electric field
is also along the negative direction of x-axis. [2]

(iii) The electrostatic potential between x = 0 and x = W can be determined by the

integral of the electric field.
𝑊 0 𝑊 𝑘 𝑇 1 𝑘0 𝑇 𝑊 1 𝑥
𝑉 = ∫0 𝐸(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = ∫0 − 𝑊𝑒 𝑛0 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = − ∫0 𝑛0 𝑥 𝑑𝑊 =
+ 𝑒 +
𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 𝑊 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 𝑊
𝑛0
𝑘0 𝑇 1 1 𝑘0 𝑇 𝑛 1 𝑘0 𝑇 +1
0 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0
− ∫ 𝑛0 𝑑𝑡 = ln [𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛 + 𝑡] = ln [ 𝑛0 ]=
𝑒 0 +𝑡 𝑒 0 0 𝑒
𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0 𝑛(𝑊)−𝑛0
𝑘0 𝑇 𝑛(𝑊)
− ln [ ] = −0.026 ∗ ln105 = −0.3 V [4]
𝑒 𝑛0

Q4 (a) Assume the mobility of holes and electrons is independent of the carrier
concentration. Assume μn > μp. Among the n-type, p-type, and intrinsic
semiconductors, which one has the maximum resistivity? Give the expression
of the maximum resistivity ρmax. [10]

Solutions: ρ = (en0μn + ep0μp)-1 = [en0μn + e(ni2/n0)μp]-1 [2]

ρ ≤ [2e·sqrt(μnμp) · ni]-1 [1]

The equality corresponds to the condition en0μn = eni2/n0μp. [1]

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 That means n0 = sqrt(μp/μn) · ni and p0 = sqrt(μn/μp) · ni. [2]

Since μn > μp, this means when ρ obtains its maximum, p0 is greater than n0. This
corresponds to the p-type semiconductor. [2]

The maximum of ρ is ρmax = [2e·sqrt(μnμp) ni]-1. [2]

(b) A silicon sample is uniformly doped by boron atoms with Na = 4×1014 cm-3 and
phosphorus atoms with Nd = 2×1014 cm-3. Assume the impurities are completely
ionized at T = 300 K. The semiconductor is uniformly illuminated by a light
source. The excess carriers are uniformly generated inside the semiconductor
with a value of 1×1015 cm-3. A voltage is applied across the semiconductor, and
generates a constant electric field of 10 V/cm. Assume the following parameters:
μn = 1200 cm2/V·s, μp = 400 cm2/V·s, ni = 1010 cm-3.

(i) Determine the drift current density of holes. [6]

(ii) Determine the drift current density of electrons. [6]

(iii) Determine the total drift current density. [3]

Solutions:
(i) The semiconductor is p-type since the concentration of acceptors is greater than that
of donors.
The hole concentration at equilibrium:
p0 = 4×1014 cm-3 - 2×1014 cm-3 = 2×1014 cm-3. [2]
The total hole concentration:
p = p0 + δp = 2×1014 cm-3 + 1×1015 cm-3 = 1.2×1015 cm-3. [1]

The drift current density of holes is:

Jp = epμpE = 1.6×10-19*1.2×1015*400 *10 A/cm2= 0.77 A/cm2. [3]

(ii) The electron concentration at equilibrium:
n0 = ni /p0 = 1020/(2×1014) cm-3 = 5×105 cm-3.
2
[2]

The total electron concentration:

n = n0 + δn = 5×105 cm-3 + 1×1015 cm-3 ≈ 1×1015 cm-3. [1]

The drift current density of electrons is:

Jp = enμnE = 1.6×10-19*1×1015*1200 *10 A/cm2= 1.92 A/cm2. [3]

(iii) The total drift current density is:

J = Jp + Jn = (0.77+ 1.92) A/cm2 = 2.69 A/cm2 [3]

End of question paper

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