Absorption in Semiconductors

Absorption in Semiconductors
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The operation of optical devices depends on the upward and downward transitions of carriers between energy bands. The transitions results in absorption or emission of light, which is electromagnetic energy. The measurement of absorption and emission spectra in semiconductors provide information on the s Bandgap s Direct and indirect transitions s The distribution of states s The Energy position of defects s The impurity levels

Absorption in Semiconductors
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The process of photon absorption results in the transition of an electron from a lower energy state to a higher energy state. If a photon with energy larger than the band gap energy is absorbed in a semiconductor, the electron and hole are generally not created with the same energy. Usually, the electron with its lower mass in compound semiconductors is created with a larger energy than the hole.

Exciton Absorption
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In very pure semiconductors, the electrons and holes produced by the absorption of a photon of near bandgap energy, pair to form an exciton. This is the free exciton.

In indirect bandgap semiconductors, exciton may also be formed with the absorption or emission of a phonon.

Donor-Acceptor and Impurity band Absorption

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Both donors and acceptors are simultaneously present in a semiconductor. Depending on the temperature and the state of occupancy of the impurity levels , it is possible to raise an electron from the acceptor to the donor level or by absorbing a photon.

Donor-Acceptor and Impurity band Absorption

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The energy of the photon absorbed is

q2 h = Eg ED EA + o rr

The term q accounts for coulomb interaction between the donor o rr and acceptor atoms , which results in the lowering of the binding energies. For the ground state of the impurities, the energies ED and EA correspond to the most distant pairs and r is very high So h Eg ED EA
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Donor-Acceptor and Impurity band Absorption

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For fully ionized impurities, such as for the nearest neighbours, the excited states may lie within the respective band, so r may be less , so
q2 > ED + EA o rr

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Lowest energy transitions For most distant pairs(r is high) Higher energy transitions For nearer pairs.

High Energy Transitions

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High energy (near bandgap ) transitions can occur between ionized impurity levels and the opposite bandedge.

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The photon energy absorbed is h Eg Eb Where Eb is the binding energy of the donor or acceptor level.

Low Energy Absorption-Impurity-band transitions

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The impurity-band transitions can have energies close to the bandgap.

Absorption Spectrum Change under Applied Electric Field

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Franz-Keldysh Effect Neglect Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes. DC Stark Effect Franz-Keldysh effect plus Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes (excitons). Quantum confined Start effect (QCSE) DC Stark Effect in quantum wells Excitons been confined in quantum well. Stark effect enhanced.

Franz-Keldysh effect
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The effect is named after the German physicist Walter Franz and Russian physicis Leonid Keldysh. This is a change in optical absorption by a semiconductor when an electric field is applied. Results in absorption of photon with energies less than the bandgap of the semiconductor.

At the classical turning points marked A and B, the electron wavefunctions change from oscillatory to decaying behaviour. With increase in electric field, the distance AB decreases . In the absence of a photon, the valence electron has to tunnel through a triangular barrier of height Eg and thickness d.

Franz-Keldysh effect
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With the assistance of an absorbed photon, photon of energy hw<Eg, the tunneling barrier thickness is reduced to d. Now the valence electron can easily tunnel to the conduction band. Net result is photon with energy hw<Eg is absorbed. The Franz-Keldysh effect is therefore, photon assisted tunneling. The Franz-Keldysh effect occurs in uniform, bulk semiconductors. Franz-Keldysh-effect is used in electro-absorption modulators

FRANZ-KELDYSH EFFECTS