Indian Institute of Technology Patna

Department of Electrical Engineering

EE 200 (Semiconductor Devices and Circuits) Semester: July -December 2018
Assignment #1
Problem 1: For a simple cubic lattice, show that:
a) the line [hkl] is perpendicular to the (hkl) plane, (b) the spacing (d) between adjacent (hkl) planes is

(c) How do you calculate the Miller indices of a crystal plane and a crystal direction? Draw a sketch of (012)
in a simple cubic lattice.
(d) Define lattice constant of a material. Given the silicon lattice constant a = 0.543 nm, calculate the Si-Si
bond length. Also calculate the density of silicon, in g cm-3. [Atomic mass of silicon = 28.09, Avogadro’s
number = 6.022x1023 mol-1].
Problem 2: The performance of semiconductor devices (BJTs and MOSFETs) depends upon the crystalline
orientation.
a) Given that the lattice constant of Si is 5.43Å, calculate the areal density of atoms (number/cm2) on each
of the following planes: (100), (110), and (111). Based on your answers, which plane would you expect
to be best for different devices performance?

b) Consider the arrangement of covalent bonds within the unit cell of Si. Which crystallographic direction
would you expect to be the best for hole conduction? Explain in details with suitable example.
Hint: The direction that has the most number of covalent bonds is the best for hole conduction.
c) Si has the diamond and GaAs has the zinc blende crystal structure. Given the lattice parameters of Si
and GaAs, a = 0.543 nm and a = 0.565 nm, respectively, and the atomic masses of Si, Ga, and As as
28.08, 69.73, and 74.92 g/mol, respectively, calculate the density of Si and GaAs. What is the atomic
concentration (atoms per unit volume) in each crystal?
Problem 3: The density of states in a certain semiconductor material is given by the following relationships:
gc(E) = A(E-Ec) for E > Ec
gv(E) = (A/2)(Ev-E) for E < Ev
where A is a constant. Assume the semiconductor is not doped and has a band gap of 1 eV, and that it is
maintained at room temperature (T = 300K) under equilibrium conditions.
a) Sketch the electron distribution (n(E)) in the conduction band and the hole distribution (p(E)) in the
valence band.
b) Derive an expression for the intrinsic carrier concentration, ni, as a function of A.
c) Qualitatively, is the intrinsic Fermi level located closer to the conduction band or to the valence band?
Explain why.
Problem 4: Consider a Si sample maintained under equilibrium conditions, doped with Phosphorus to a
concentration 1×1015 cm-3:
a) Assuming T = 300K, draw the energy band diagram for this sample, indicating the values of (Ec – EF)
and (EF – Ei) to within 0.01 eV.
b) Assuming T = 600K, draw the energy band diagram for this sample, indicating the values of (Ec – EF)
and (EF – Ei) to within 0.01 eV. Remember that Nc and Nv are temperature dependent. Also, EG is
dependent on temperature: for silicon, EG = 1.205 − 2.8×10-4(T) for T > 300K. Provide a qualitative
explanation for the relative shift in Fermi level.
Problem 5: The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function f(E) = exp[(Ef-E)/kT] is often used as an
approximation to the Fermi-Dirac function. Using this approximation and the densities of states in the
conduction band Dc(E) = A(E-Ec)1/2, find:
(a) the energy at which one finds the most electrons (1/cm3eV).
(b) the conduction band electron concentration (explain any approximation made).
(c) the ratio of the electron concentration at the energy of (a) to the electron concentration at E = Ec + 40kT
(about 1eV above Ec at 300 K). Does this result justify one of the approximations in part (b)?
(d) the average kinetic energy, E - Ec of the electrons.
Problem 6:
In a Si sample (Eg=1.1 eV), the Fermi level is 0.3 eV above the valence band edge E v. Knowing that the
effective masses of electrons and holes are 1.1 and 0.6 times the free electron mass (9.1x10-31), calculate the
effective density of states Nc and Nv at band edges at room temperature (300oK). Draw the band diagram of
this silicon sample. Calculate the densities of electrons and holes. Is this material a p-type or an n-type
silicon? What are the majority and minority carriers?
Problem 7:
For a GaAs semiconductor sample with bandgap of 1.4 eV, the Fermi level is 0.1 eV below midgap. Draw
the band diagram. For GaAs we have (m*/m)e = 0.067 and (m*/m)h = 0.48. Calculate the density of
electrons per Joule per cubic meters at energy E located 0.04 eV above Ec. Calculate the hole density at
energy level 0.04 eV below Ev. Calculate these densities again per eV per cubic centimeters. Calculate the
effective density of states Nc and Nv for GaAs at room temperature. Calculate n and p in this sample.
Problem 8: Intrinsic semiconductor
a) Explain qualitatively the differences in intrinsic carrier concentrations for Ge, Si and GaAs. (Why is
ni highest for Ge? Why is it lowest for GaAs?)
b) Explain qualitatively why ni increases with increasing temperature.
c) Integrated-circuit devices rely on extrinsic semiconductor properties (i.e. local control of carrier
concentrations by doping or by applying an electric field). Which of the semiconductors (Ge, Si and
GaAs) would you expect to be best for high-temperature device operation, and why?
Problem 9: Doping
Consider the two-dimensional representation of the semiconductor GaAs shown below:

If Si atoms are inserted as dopants and exclusively replace Ga atoms in the lattice, will the Si-doped GaAs
material be n-type or p-type? What if the Si atoms exclusively replace As atoms? Explain.
Problem 10: Carrier Concentrations
Consider a Si sample under equilibrium conditions, doped with Boron to a concentration 1017 cm-3.
a) At T = 300K, is this material n-type or p-type? What are the majority and minority carrier
concentrations?
b) As the temperature of this sample is increased, ni will eventually increase to be higher than the dopant
concentration, and the sample will become intrinsic (n  p  ni). Estimate the temperature at which this
occurs, by finding the temperature at which ni be much greater (at least 10 higher) than the dopant
concentration. (You can simply use the plot of ni vs. T, refer text Book .)