EE3310 Homework #2

Due: Wednesday, September 9th.

1. The photoelectric effect showed that light can be considered as a stream of particles
called photons. In 1924, Louis de Broglie postulated that this wave-particle duality of
light extends to other types of particles. The de Broglie hypothesis says that a particle
with momentum, p, possesses a characteristic wavelength given by λ = h / p (where h is
Planck’s constant). Using the classical relationship between momentum and kinetic
energy, answer the following questions:

a. What is the de Broglie wavelength of an electron having 4e-17 J of energy? (Write

your answer in the units of nm.) Ans: 0.078 nm
b. What is that electron’s momentum? Ans: 8.53e-24 kg*m/s
c. What is the de Broglie wavelength of a neutron (1.67e-27 kg) having 4e-15 J of
energy? Ans: 0.000181 nm
d. How much energy in eV is 4e-15 J? Ans: 25,000 eV

2. Streetman and Banerjee Problem 2.7

Ans:
<t> = integral(t*exp(-t/tau)dt / integral(exp(-t/tau)dt) (limits are 0 to inf)
= tau

3. An electron sits at point A in the potential structure shown below. If it starts with 2 eV
of kinetic energy moving to the right, what is its kinetic energy when it reaches point
“B”. Hint: The potential and the potential energy of the electron are not the same thing.
Potential, V(x)

3V

2.2 V

1.4 V
1.2 V
A B
Ans: Potential energy is the mirror image vertically of the potential plot. Thus,
the electron gains 3-1.4=1.6eV of potential energy at the expense of its kinetic
energy, leaving it with 0.4 eV of kinetic energy.
4. Use the data in Appendix III to plot up two graphs. (They should look similar to the
example plot below.)

a. Plot the hole “density of states effective mass” (mp*) as a function of the column III
element for the III-V semiconductors. (Column III elements listed in Appendix III
include Al, Ga and In.) To calculate the hole effective mass from the “light-hole
effective mass” (mlh/mo) and “heavy-hole effective mass” (mhh/mo) values given in
Appendix III, one must use the following formula:
mp*/mo = {(mlh/mo)^3/2 + (mhh/mo)^3/2}^(2/3)
(Note: (4.0)^(3/2) = 8.)

Hole Density of States Effective Mass

1.5

1 P
Mp*/Mo

As
0.5 Sb

0
Al Ga In
P 0.7030467 0.8288175 0.8690924
As 0.803801 0.5188032 0.4141053
Sb 0.98 0.2500014 0.4019342
Column III Element

b. Plot the lattice constant (in g/cm3) versus the column III element.

Lattice Constant

7
a (Angstroms)

6.5
P
6
As
5.5
Sb
5
4.5
Al Ga In
P 5.46 5.45 5.87
As 5.66 5.65 6.06
Sb 6.14 6.09 6.48
Column III Element

Do you notice any trends in the above plots? If so, what are they?
Large atoms tend to create a larger lattice constant.
Larger atoms tend fo cause a lower effective mass for holes (sort of).
5. Use the Periodic Table and Figure 4-9 of Streetman and Banerjee (next page) to
determine if the following elements are Acceptors, Donors or Amphoteric dopants in
Silicon.
a. Indium Ans: acceptor
b. Manganese Ans: donor
c. Sulfur Ans: donor