6.720J/3.

43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-1

Lecture 8 - Carrier Drift and Diusion (cont.)
September 21, 2001
Contents:
1. Non-uniformly doped semiconductor in thermal equi-
librium
Reading assignment:
del Alamo, Ch. 4, 4.5
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-2
Key questions
Is it possible to have an electric eld in a semiconductor in ther-
mal equilibrium?
What would that imply for the electron and hole currents?
Is there a relationship between mobility and diusion coecient?
Given a certain non-uniform doping distribution, how does one
compute the equilibrium carrier concentrations?
Under what conditions does the equilibrium majority carrier con-
centration follow the doping level in a non-uniformly doped semi-
conductor?
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-3
1. Non-uniformly doped semiconductor
in thermal equilibrium
It is possible to have an electric eld in a semiconductor in thermal
equilibrium non-uniform doping distribution
Gauss Law: electrical charge produces an electric eld:
dE
dx
=

volume charge density [C/cm

3
]
if = 0 E = 0
if = 0
dE
dx
= 0
it is possible to have E = 0 with = 0
In semiconductors:
= q(p n + N
+
D
N

A
)
If N
+
D
N
D
and N

A
N
A
,
dE
dx
=
q

(p n + N
D
N
A
)
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-4
dE
dx
=
q

(p n + N
D
N
A
)
Uniformly-doped semiconductor in TE:
far away from any surface charge neutrality:

o
= 0
dE
o
dx
= 0
since no eld applied from the outside E
o
= 0
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-5
Non-uniformly doped semiconductor in TE (n-type):
n
o,
N
D
n
o
(x)? N
D
(x)
x
n
o
(x)?
dE
o
dx
=
q

(N
D
n
o
)
Three possibilities:
n
o
(x) = N
D
(x) net diusion current
n
o
(x) uniform net drift current
n
o
= f(x) but n
o
(x) = N
D
(x) in a way that there is no net
current
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-6
n
o,
N
D
n
o
(x)
N
D
(x)
+
-
net electron charge
partially uncompensated
donor charge

+
x
x
x
x

ref
E
c
E
v
E
F
q[(x)-
ref
]
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-7
Goal: understanding physics of non-uniformly doped semiconduc-
tors in TE
principle of detailed balance for currents in TE
Einstein relation
Boltzmann relations
general solution
quasi-neutral solution
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-8
In thermal equilibrium:
J = J
e
+ J
h
= 0
Detailed balance further demands that:
J
e
= J
h
= 0
[study example of 4.5.2]
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-9
Einstein Relation
relates to ease of carrier drift in an electric eld.
D relates to ease of carrier diusion as a result of a concentration
gradient.
Is there a relationship between and D?
Yes, Einstein relation:
D
e

e
=
D
h

h
=
kT
q
Relationship between D and only depends on T.
[study derivation and restrictions in 4.5.2]
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-10
Boltzmann Relations
In TE, diusion = drift there must be a conexion between elec-
trostatics and carrier concentrations.
In TE, J
e
= 0:
J
e
= q
e
n
o
E
o
+ qD
e
dn
o
dx
= 0
Then, relationship between E
o
and equilibrium carrier concentration:
E
o
=
kT
q
1
n
o
dn
o
dx
=
kT
q
d(ln n
o
)
dx
Express in terms of :
d
dx
=
kT
q
d(ln n
o
)
dx
Integrate:
(x) (ref) =
kT
q
ln
n
o
(x)
n
o
(ref)
Relationship between the ratio of equilibrium carrier concentration
and dierence of electrostatic potential at two dierent points.
At 300 K: factor of 10 in n
o

kT
q
ln 10 = 60 mV of
60 mV/decade rule
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-11
If (ref) = 0 where n
o
= n
i
:
n
o
= n
i
exp
q
kT
Similarly:
p
o
= n
i
exp
q
kT
Note: n
o
p
o
= n
2
i
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-12
Equilibrium carrier concentration: general solution in the
presence of doping gradient (n-type)
dE
o
dx
=
q

(N
D
n
o
)
Relationship between E
o
and n
o
in thermal equilibrium:
E
o
=
kT
q
d(ln n
o
)
dx
Then:
kT
q
2
d
2
(ln n
o
)
dx
2
= n
o
N
D
One equation, one unknown. Given N
D
(x), can solve for n
o
(x)
(but in general, require numerical solution).
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-13
Quasi-neutral situation
kT
q
2
d
2
(ln n
o
)
dx
2
= n
o
N
D
If N
D
(x) changes slowly with x n
o
(x) will also change slowly,
then:
n
o
(x) N
D
(x)
The majority carrier concentration closely tracks the doping level.
When does this simple result apply?
kT
q
2
d
2
(ln n
o
)
dx
2
N
D
or
kT
q
2
N
D
d
2
(ln n
o
)
dx
2
1
Alternatively:
n
o
N
D
N
D
1
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-14
Dene Debye length:
L
D
=

kT
q
2
N
D
Rewrite condition:
L
2
D
|
dE
o
dx
|
kT
q
Note:
L
D
|
dE
o
dx
| is change in electric eld over a Debye length
L
2
D
|
dE
o
dx
| is change in electrostatic potential over a Debye length
For a non-uniformly doped prole to be quasi-neutral in TE, the
change in the electrostatic potential over a Debye length must be
smaller than the thermal voltage.
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-15
L
D
=

kT
q
2
N
D
L
D
characteristic length for electrostatic problems in semiconductors.
Similar arguments for p-type material.
1E-08
1E-07
1E-06
1E-05
1E-04
1E+15 1E+16 1E+17 1E+18 1E+19 1E+20 1E+21
N (cm
-3
)
L
D

(
c
m
)
Si at 300K
Since L
D
1/

N:
N L
D
QN condition easier to fulll.
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-16
Key conclusions
Detailed balance in TE demands that J
e
= J
h
= 0 everywhere.
Einstein relation:
D

=
kT
q
Boltzmann relations: in TE, dierence of electrostatic potential
between two points is proportional to ratio of carrier concentra-
tion at same points:
(x) (ref) =
kT
q
ln
n
o
(x)
n
o
(ref)
=
kT
q
ln
p
o
(x)
p
o
(ref)
In quasi-neutral non-uniformly doped semiconductor in TE:
n
o
(x) N
D
(x)
Debye length: key characteristic length for electrostatics in quasi-
neutral semiconductor.
Order of magnitude of key parameters for Si at 300K:
Debye length: L
D
10
8
10
5
cm (depends on doping)
6.720J/3.43J - Integrated Microelectronic Devices - Fall 2001 Lecture 8-17
Self-study
Derive Einstein relation.
Study example supporting detailed balance for J
e
and J
h
.
Work out exercises 4.5-4.7.