ECE3040C

Microelectronic Circuits
Test 1
Friday, Sept. 30, 2011.

Solutions

1. Consider this two dimensional lattice.

a) Show a primitive unit cell (3 points).

b) How many atoms does each primitive unit cell have? (2 points)
2 atoms

c) If a=0.5nm, what is the density of unit cells per cm2? (5 points)

(110-2)2/(0.5109)2=41014/cm2

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

2. What are the Miller Indices for this plane? (5 points)?

(1,1/2,1/3)(6,3,2)

3. The intrinsic carrier density in Si at 300K is 1010cm-3? What is this

intrinsic carrier density at 400K? (We are only interested in the order
of magnitude) (5 points)

ni = N C NV e

! Eg /2 kT

, where

" mn*kT %
NC = 2 $
2 '
$# 2!! '&

3/2

and

" mp*kT %
NV = 2 $
'
2
$# 2!! '&

3/2

Since we are only interested in the order of magnitude of intrinsic carrier

density, we can assume Nc and Nv are constant with temperaurea and
only consider the exponential. This way:

ni (400K ) e"1.1/(2 # 0.0346)

!
! 200
12
"3
ni (300K ) e"1.1/(2 # 0.026)
thereby ni (400K ) ! 10 cm

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

4. The intrinsic carrier density in Si at 300K is 1010cm-3. You would like

to have a hole density of 107cm-3 at 300K.
a) What doping density will you use? (5 points)

10 20
np = n ! n = 7 = 1013 cm "3
10
Majority carrier density is equal to doping concentration. Hence
doping concentration should be 1013cm-3.
2
i

b) What kind of doping, phosphorus or Boron? (5 points)

We would like to have an N-Type carrier , hence we would use
Phosphorous.

5. In a Si substrate, NA-ND=1014cm-3. What is (Ef-Ei)/kT at room

temperature? (Pay attention to its sign) (5 points)

p = N A ! N D = 1014 cm !3

p = ni exp "#(Ei ! E f ) / KT $% & (Ei ! E f ) / KT = ln

p
' 9.2
ni

(E f ! Ei ) / KT = !9.2

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

6. In Si, electron mobility is approximately 3 times higher than hole

mobility. What should be the doping concentration if you would like to
have an electron drift current 300 times higher than the hole drift
current? (10 points)?

!
!
J p,drift = q p p !
!
!
J n,drift = q n n !

!
J n,drift n n
n
!
=
! 300 = " 3 ! n = 100 p
J p,drift p p
p

np = ni2 ! p = ni2 / n ! n = 100ni2 / n ! n = 10ni

ND=n=1011cm-3

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

7. The band diagram in a semiconductor is given below.

L/6

a) Plot the potential profile (5 points).

b) Plot the electric field (5 points).

c) Plot the electron density in logarithmic scale (10 points).

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

8. Define low-level injection. What concentration remains unchanged in

low-level injection compared to equilibrium? (5 points)
Low-level injection means the change in electron or hole density compared to
the equilibrium values is small compared to the majority carrier density.
Hence, one may assume that only minority carrier density is affected and
not the majority carrier density.

9. Why are direct bandgap materials more efficient in absorbing light

compared to indirect bandgap materials? (5 points)
In a direct bandgap material the top of the valance band has the same k (or
momentum) as the bottom of the conduction band. Hence, direct band to band
transitions do not require any change in electron momentum. Photons have a
negligible momentum and therefore in direct bandgap materials they can
interact with electrons very easily.

10. Lets assume a thin piece of n-doped semiconductor is shined with

light and the generation rate of GL=1014 per cm3 per second is
uniformly created in its entire volume. The minority carrier lifetime is
1s.
a) Write the continuity equation at steady state and show which terms are
zero assuming the electric field is zero and GL is constant everywhere
in the semiconductor. (5 points)

!pn (x,t)
!pn
! 2pn
pn " pn0
!#
= " pn p
" p#
+Dp
+
G
"
L
2 %
!t
!x"###
!x
$p
!###
$ !#"!x
#
$ Perturb. !#"
#$
Drift

Diffusion

thermal R"G

Steady state: all derivatives with respect to time are zero.

Shined uniformly in all its volume: all derivatives with respect to x are zero
Electric field is zero.

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu

b) What is the extra minority carrier density at steady state? (10 points)

p ! pn0
0 = + GL ! n
# pn ! pn0 = GL "p = 108 cm!3
!
"
Perturb. "$#p$
%
thermal R!G

c) Lets assume that light is turned off at t=0. Write down the minority
carrier density as a function of time. (10 points)

!pn (x,t)
p " pn0
= + GL " n
!
!t
#
Perturb. "$#p$
%
thermal R"G

!pn (t) = pn (t = 0)e

" t/#p

= 108 e " t/1s cm"3

ECE 3040C| MWF 12:05 1:25 | Fall 2011

Instructor: Azad Naeemi | MiRC 216 | azad@.gatech.edu