Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor

Electrical Engineering Department Homework 4 Fall 2014

Due Monday December 1, 2014

Problem 1:

A Si step junction under equilibrium at 300 K has a p-side doping of NA = 2 × 1015 cm-3 and
n-side doping of ND = 1015 cm-3.Calculate:
(a) The contact potential (also called built-in voltage).
(b) The depletion layer width at the p-side and n-sides, and the total depletion layer width.
(c) The electric field at the metallurgical junction.
(d) The potential at the metallurgical junction.
(e) Make sketches of the charge density, electric field and electrostatic potential as a
function of position, that are roughly to scale.

Problem 2:
Shown below is the electric field profile in the depletion region of a semiconductor p-n
junction in thermal equilibrium. Answer the following questions with explanations.

-0.1 1.0 x (μm)

(a) Which side is p-type and which side is n-type? Write down Poisson’s equation and
obtain the answers from this equation.
(b) Is the n-type region uniformly doped within the depletion layer? Is the p-type region
uniformly doped? Explain.
(c) Which side is more heavily doped?
(d) If the p-type region has a net doping concentration of 1015 cm-3, what will be the doping
concentration in the n-type region?

Dr. Fahad Alajmi P a g e |1

Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor
Electrical Engineering Department Homework 4 Fall 2014

Problem 3:
An abrupt silicon p-n junction diode has the following characteristics.

p-side
NA =1016 cm-3
𝜇𝑛 = 1000 𝑐𝑚2 ⁄𝑉 ∙ 𝑠
𝜏𝑛 = 𝜏𝑝 = 10−7 sec
Area A = 10-2cm2
n-side
ND = 4 ×1016 cm-3
𝜇𝑝 = 350 𝑐𝑚2 ⁄𝑉 ∙ 𝑠
𝜏𝑛 = 𝜏𝑝 = 10−7 sec

Calculate the following quantities:

(a) Reverse saturation hole current component.
(b) Reverse saturation electron current component.
(c) Minority carrier concentrations at the edge of the depletion layer, np(0) and pn(0), for a
forward voltage of 0.6 V.
(d) Electron and hole current for the bias condition of (c).
(e) Make a rough sketch of the minority carrier concentration profile in the quasi-neutral
regions for the bias condition of (c).
(f) Suppose the forward voltage is increased to a value such that the injected minority
carrier concentration at the n-side depletion layer edge is equal to the doping concentration
(i.e., 4×1016 cm-3). Calculate this forward voltage. Compare this voltage to the built-in
voltage. Comment on the results.

Dr. Fahad Alajmi P a g e |2