Dr.

Nasim Zafar
Electronics 1
EEE 231 BS Electrical Engineering
Fall Semester 2012
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
Virtual campus
Islamabad
Semiconductor device lab.
Kwangwoon
Un i v e r s i t y Semiconductor Devices.
Carrier Transport in Semiconductors

Lecture No: 4
Drift and Mobility
Conductivity and Resistance
Continuity Equations
Einstein Relation




Nasim Zafar
In the first few lectures we discussed and calculated the
equilibrium distribution of charges in a semiconductor.

n.p = n
i
2
, n ~ N
D
for n-type


last lecture showed how the system tries to restore itself
back to equilibrium when perturbed, through R- G processes.

R = (n p - n
i
2
)/[t
p
(n+n
1
) + t
n
(p+p
1
)]


In this lecture we will explore the processes that drive the system
away from equilibrium.




Introduction:
3 Nasim Zafar

The carrier transport or the mechanisms which cause charges to move
in semiconductors can be classified into two categories. Both these
mechanisms will be discuss in this lecture.

The two mechanisms are:
Drift: Drift-Motion under an applied electric field.

diffusion: Diffusion-Motion due to the concentration
gradient of the charges.

An applied electric field will cause drift, while thermal motion
and the carrier concentration gradient will cause diffusion.

Introduction:
4
Nasim Zafar
The Drift Motion
5 Nasim Zafar

An Applied Electric Field Across: n-type Si
+ -
V
n type Si
e
-

d
V
Electric field
Electron movement
Current flow
Current carriers are mostly electrons.
L
V
E =
6
Nasim Zafar
+ -
V
p type Si
hole
d
V
Electric field
Hole movement
Current flow
Current carriers are mostly holes.



An Applied Electric Field Across: P-type Si

L
V
E =
7 Nasim Zafar
The Thermal Velocity:
For free charge carriers the thermal energy and the thermal
velocity is given by:
From classical thermal physics,


or
~ 10
7
cm/s in Si

where v
th
is the thermal velocity, which is the average velocity
of carriers due to thermal excitation.


KE
1
2
m
*
v
t h
2

\
|
|
.
3
2
k T
v
t h
3kT
m
*
|

\
|
|
.
1
2


The Concept of Drift-under an applied Electric Field:
Random scattering
events (R-G centers)
The electric field gives a net
drift, superposed on top
9
Nasim Zafar
The Concept of Drift-under an Electric Field:

If an electric field, E
x
, is applied along the x-direction to the
Si sample, each electron will experience a net force -qE
x
from
the field, given by:


This force may be insufficient to alter, appreciably, the
random thermal motion of an individual electron, however,
there is a net motion of the group in the x-direction.

When electrons collide with the lattice and impurity atoms,
there is a loss of energy associated with them.

F qE =
Scattering Processes
Phonon Scattering
Ionized Impurity Scattering
Neutral Atom/Defect Scattering
Carrier-Carrier Scattering

11 Nasim Zafar
*
d
F
V
m
t =

Drift Velocity and Mobility:
* *
d
d
F qE
V
m m
q
V E
m
t t
t

-
= =
= =
Net carrier velocity in an applied field is the drift velocity v
d

Drift velocity = Acceleration x Mean free time


Force is due to the applied field, F=qE
12 Nasim Zafar
Carrier Mobility :

d
V E =
| |
(
(

=
Sec V
cm
2

is a proportionality factor and is defined as mobility
of the charge carriers.
(

=
E
V
d

So is a measure of how easily charge carriers move under the
influence of an applied field or determines how mobile the charge
carriers are.

13 Nasim Zafar
The force exerted by the field, on n electrons/cm
3
is:
(where p
x
, momentum of the group)

I s this a continuous acceleration of
electrons in thex direction?

The drift motion of these electrons, gives a drift current






The Concept of Drift Motion and Drift Current:
d
I
d d
I nqV A =
:
d
I
:
d
V
drift current
number of charge carriers per unit
volume
charge of t he electron
drift velocity of charge carrier
area of the semiconductor
: A
: q
: n
14
Nasim Zafar
n q
x

dp
x
dt

Carrier Mobility

*
q
m
t
=
general in m m
h e
* *
(
*
*
;
;
e
h
m n type
m p type

15 Nasim Zafar

Thus:
Carrier Mobility :

Impurity interaction
component
Lattice interaction
component
16 Nasim Zafar
There are the two basic types of scattering mechanisms that hinder
mobility. Thus the mobility has two components:

*
0
2
5
? 300 1.18
? 1000 / 0.15 /( )
3
1.08 10 / sec
150 / sec
th e
d
th th
d d
V RT K m m
V E V m m V s
kT
V V x m
m
V E V m

-
= = =
= = =
= =
= =
Calculate the velocity of an electron in an n-type silicon sample due to its
thermal energy at room temperature.
and due to the application of an electric field of 1000 V/m across the
Silicon sample.

Lets Solve a Problem:
17 Nasim Zafar
Temperature Dependence
of Mobility
18 Nasim Zafar
2
3
2
3
1

= T T C
L

Variation of mobility with temperature
At high temperatures
L
component becomes significant.
L

decreases when temperature increases.

It is called as a power law.

C
1
is a constant.
1.5
T

Carriers are more likely scattered by the lattice atoms.

19 Nasim Zafar
At low temperatures
Variation of mobility with temperature
I

component is significant.
I

decreases when temperature decreases.

2
3
2
T C
I
= C
2
is a constant.
20 Nasim Zafar
Mobility and Scattering: Lattice and I mpurity
Lattice vibrations: due to
temperature.

Ionized impurity scattering:
slow moving carriers are easily
affected by a charged ion.

Net Mobility

~
1

i
1

i
1

l
+
Temperature Dependence of Mobility

) ln(

T
T
ln( T )
Peak depends on
the density of
impurities
High temperature
Low temperature
I

1 1 1
T L I

= +
22 Nasim Zafar
Nasim Zafar 23
Current Density
and
Conductivity
Conductivity and Resistance
The semiconductor bar contains
both electrons and holes, the
conductivity is given by

The resistance of the bar is given by:


Where is the resistivity
Electron motion
Electron motion
Electric field
Current
Hole motion
I
R
L
wt
L
wt
1
o

Ohms Law
J
n
= E/
n

drift
J
p
= E/
p

drift
L
A
E = V/L

I = JA = V/R

R = L/A (Ohms)
V
25 Nasim Zafar
Current Density and Conductivity
In a semiconductors, both electrons and holes conduct current:






The conductivity is:

Unit: mho/cm

E E n p q J
E qn E qp J J J
E qn J E qp J
n p drift tot
n p drift n drift p drift tot
n drift n p drift p
o


+ =
+ = + =
= =
) (

) (
,
, , ,
, ,
26 Nasim Zafar

Resistivity and Conductivity
o
n
= nq
n
= nq
2
t
n
/m
n
*
J
n
= o
n
E
drift
J
p
= o
p
E
drift
o
p
= pq
p
= pq
2
t
p
/m
p
*
= 1/o
o = o
n
+ o
p
27 Nasim Zafar
Unit: ohm-cm
Mobility and Drift Current

n
= qt
n
/m
n
*

p
= qt
p
/m
p
*
J
n
= qnv = qn
n
E
drift
J
p
= qpv = qp
p
E
drift
(A/cm
2
)
28 Nasim Zafar
Summary
The peak of the mobility curve depends on the number density of
ionized impurities.

Highly doped samples will therefore cause more scattering,
and have a lower mobility, than low doped samples.

Mobility and resistivity depend on the material properties
like m* and sample properties (e.g. N
T
, which determines t).

This fact is used in high speed devices called High Electron
Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) where electrons are made to
move in undoped material, with the resulting high
carrier mobilities!


Nasim Zafar 29