Solution Assignments 4

1. The electron density in silicon at room temperature is twice the intrinsic density. Calculate
the hole density, the donor density and the Fermi energy relative to the intrinsic energy.
Repeat for n = 5 ni and n = 10 ni. Also repeat for p = 2 ni, p = 5 ni and p = 10 ni, calculating
the electron and acceptor density as well as the Fermi energy relative to the intrinsic energy
level.

2. Consider a homogeneous gallium arsenide semiconductor at T = 300 K with N d =1016 cm-3

and Na = 0. (a) Calculate the thermal-equilibrium values of electron and hole
concentrations. (b) For an applied E-field of 10 V/cm, calculate the drift current density. (c)
Repeat parts (a) and (b) if Nd = 0 and Na = 1016 cm-3.

Solution

(a) no  N d  1016 cm 3 and

po 
ni2


1.8 10 6 
2

 3.24 10  4 cm 3
no 1016

(b)
J  e n no 

For GaAs doped at N d  1016 cm 3 ,  n  7500 cm 2 /V-s

Then

   
J  1.6 10 19 7500 1016 10

J  120 A/cm 2

(c) (i) p o  N a  1016 cm 3

ni2
no   3.24 10  4 cm 3
po

1
 (ii) For GaAs doped at N a  1016 cm 3 ,

 p  310 cm 2 /V-s

J  e p p o 

   
 1.6 10 19 310 1016 10

J  4.96 A/cm 2

3. A silicon crystal having a cross-sectional area of 0.001 cm2 and a length of 10-3 cm connected
at its ends to a 10-V battery. At T = 300 K, we want a current of 100mA in the silicon.
Calculate: (a) the required resistance R. (b) the required conductivity (c) the density of
donor atoms to be added to achieve this conductivity. d) The concentration of acceptor
atoms to be added to form a compensated p-type material with the conductivity given from
part (b) if the initial concentration of donor atom Nd= 1015 cm-3.

Solution

(a) V  IR  10  0.1R
R  100 

(b)
L L
R  
A RA

10 3
  0.01 (  -cm) 1

100 10 3 
(c)
  e n N d

0.01  1.6 10 19 1350N d 
Then

N d  4.63 1013 cm 3

(d)   e p p o

0.01  1.6 10 19 480 p o 
Then

p o  1.30 1014 cm 3  N a  N d

So

N a  1.30 1014  1015  1.13 1015 cm 3

Note: For the doping concentrations obtained, the assumed mobility values are
valid.

2
4. A piece of n-type silicon (Nd = 1017 cm-3) is uniformly illuminated with green light (λ= 550
nm) so that the power density in the material equals 1 mW/cm 2. a) Calculate the generation
rate of electron-hole pairs using an absorption coefficient of 104 cm-1.b) Calculate the excess
electron and hole density using the generation rate obtained in (a) and a minority carrier
lifetime due to Shockley-Read-Hall recombination of 0.1 ms. c) Calculate the electron and
hole quasi-Fermi energies (relative to Ei) based on the excess densities obtained in (b).

5. (a) A silicon semiconductor resistor is in the shape of a rectangular bar with a cross-
sectional area of 8.5×10-4 cm2 , a length of 0.075 cm, and is doped with a concentration of
2×1016 cm-3 boron atoms. Let T= 300 K. A bias of 2 volts is applied across the length of the
silicon device. Calculate the current in the resistor. (b) Repeat part (a) if the length is
increased by a factor of three. (c) Determine the average drift velocity of holes in parts (a)
and (b)

Solution
L L
(a) R  

A e p N a A 
For N a  210 cm 3 , then  p  400 cm 2 /V-s
16

R
0.075
1.6 10 19
4002 1016 8.5 10 4 
 68.93 

V 2
I   0.0290 A
R 68.93

I  29.0 mA

(b) R  L  R  68.933  206.79 

V 2
I   0.00967 A
R 206.79

I  9.67 mA

(c) J  ep o d

3
 29.0 10 3
For (a), J   34.12 A/cm 2
8.5 10  4

J 34.12
Then  d    1.066 10 4 cm/s
ep o  
1.6 10 19 2 1016 
9.67 10 3
For (b), J   11.38 A/cm 2
8.5 10  4

11.38
d   3.55 10 3 cm/s
 
1.6 10 19 2 1016 

6. (a) Calculate the resistivity at T = 300 K of intrinsic (i) silicon, (ii) germanium and (iii)
gallium arsenide. (b) If rectangular semiconductor bars are fabricated using the materials in
part (a), determine the resistance of each bar if its cross-sectional area is 85 µm2 and length
is 200 µm.

Solution

(a) (i) Silicon:  i  en i  n   p 

 i  1.6 10 19 1.5 1010 1350  480

 i  4.39 10 6 (  -cm) 1

(ii) Ge:

 i  1.6 10 19 2.4 1013 3900  1900

 i  2.23 10 2 (  -cm) 1

(iii) GaAs:

 i  1.6 10 19 1.8 10 6 8500  400

 i  2.56 10 9 (  -cm) 1

L
(b) R 
A
(i) Si:

200 10 4
R  5.36 10 9 
 
4.39 10 6 85 10 8 
(ii) Ge:

200 10 4
R  1.06 10 6 
 2

2.23 10 85 10 8

(iii) GaAs:

200 10 4
R  9.19 1012 
 
2.56 10 9 85 10 8 

4
7. A silicon wafer has a 2-inch diameter and contains 1014 cm-3 electrons with a mobility of
1400 cm2/V-sec. How thick should the wafer be so that the resistance between the front and
back surface equals 0.1 Ohm?

8. An n-type silicon material at T=300 K has a conductivity of 0.25 (Ω-cm)-1. (a) What is the
donor impurity concentration and the corresponding electron mobility? (b) Determine the
expected conductivity of the material at (i) T= 250 K and (ii) T= 400 K.

Solution

(a)   e n N d
 
0.25  1.6 10 19  n N d

For T=300K , from Appendix  n  1300 cm 2 /V-s

then N d  1.2 1015 cm 3

So   1.6 10 19 13001.2 1015 

 0.2496 (  -cm) 1

(b)
(i) For T  250 K ( 23 C), from Appendix   n  1800 cm 2 /V-s

  1.6 10 19 18001.2 1015 

 0.346 (  -cm) 1

(ii) For T  400 K ( 127 C), from Appendix   n  670 cm 2 /V-s

  1.6 10 19 6701.2 1015 

 0.129 (  -cm) 1

5
9. Consider a sample of silicon at T = 300 K. Assume that the electron concentration varies
linearly with distance, as shown in Figure below. The diffusion current density is found to
be Jn = 0.19 A/cm2. If the electron diffusion coefficient is Dn = 25 cm2/s, determine the
electron concentration at x = 0.

Solution

dn  5 1014  n0 
J n  eD n  eD n  

dx  0.01  0 

 5 1014  n0 
 
0.19  1.6 10 19 25 

 0.010 

Then

0.190.010  5 1014  n0

1.6 10 25
19

which yields

n0  0.25 1014 cm 3

10. The steady-state electron distribution in silicon can be approximated by a linear function of
x. The maximum electron concentration occurs at x=0 and is n(0)= 2×1016 cm-3 . At x=0.012
cm, the electron concentration is 5×1015 cm-3. If the electron diffusion coefficient is Dn=27
cm2/s, determine the electron diffusion current density.

Solution

dn n
J n  eD n  eD n
dx x

 2 1016  5 1015 
 
J n  1.6 10 19 27 
0  0.012

 

J n  5.4 A/cm 2

11. The electron concentration in silicon decreases linearly from 1016cm-3 to 1015 cm-3 over a
distance of 0.10 cm. The cross-sectional area of the sample is 0.05 cm2. The electron
diffusion coefficient is 25 cm2/s. Calculate the electron diffusion current.

Solution

6
12. An atomic system consists of three energy levels with energy 0, 10 and 20 meV, which can
contain a maximum of 1000, 2000 and 1000 electrons, respectively. The total energy of the
system in thermal equilibrium is 25 eV and the total number of electrons is 2000. Calculate
the Fermi energy and the temperature. (Challenge problem).

13. A sample of silicon is doped with 1016 baron atoms per cm3. The Hall sample has the
geometrical dimension L= 10-1 cm, W= 10-2 cm, and d=10-3 cm. Also assume that Ix= 1.0
mA, Vx= 12.5 V, and Bz= 3.5 x 10-2 tesla. Determine (a) the Hall voltage (b) the Hall field.

Solution

7
14. Germanium is doped with 5 x 1015 donor atoms per cm3 at T = 300 K. The dimensions of the
Hall device are d = 5 x 10-3 cm, W = 2 x 10-2 cm, and L = 10-1 cm. The current is I = 250 µA.
the applied voltage is Vx = 100 mV. and the magnetic flux density is Bz = 5 x 10-2 tesla.
Calculate: (a) the Hall voltage, (b) the Hall field and (c) the carrier mobility.

Solution

I x Bz
(a) V H 
ned


 
 250 10 6 5 10 2 
 
5 10 21 1.6 10 19 5 10 5  
VH  0.3125 mV

(b)
V H  0.3125 10 3
H  
W 2 10  2

 H  1.56 10 2 V/cm

(c)
IxL
n 
enV xWd


250 10 10  6 3

1.6 10 19

5 10 0.12 10 5 10 
21 4 5

 n  0.3125 m 2 /V-s  3125 cm 2 /V-s