NCN

www.nanohub.org

ECE606: Solid State Devices
ECE606: Solid State Devices
Lecture 13: Recombination‐Generation
Muhammad Ashraful Alam
alam@purdue.edu

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 1
Outline

1) Non‐equilibrium systems
N ilib i t
2) Recombination generation events
3) Steady‐state and transient response
4) Derivation of R‐G formula
5) Conclusion

Ref. Chapter 5, pp. 134‐146

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 Current Flow Through Semiconductors 

I
I = G× V
= q×n× v × A
V
Carrier 
C i velocity
Density
Depends on chemical composition, 
y , p , p g,
crystal structure, temperature, doping, etc. 

Quantum Mechanics + Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics 
⇒ Encapsulated into concepts of effective masses 
and occupation factors  (Ch. 1‐4)

Transport with scattering, non‐equilibrium Statistical Mechanics 
⇒ Encapsulated into drift‐diffusion equation with 
l d d f d ff h
recombination‐generation (Ch. 5 & 6)
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Non‐equilibrium Systems

Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Chapter 5
Chapter 5

I
vs.

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Direct Band‐to‐band Recombination

In real space … In energy space …

Photon

Photon

GaAs, InP, InSb (3D)
Lasers LEDs etc
Lasers, LEDs, etc.
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Direct Excitonic Recombination
In energy space …

Photon (wavelength?)

In real space …

CNT, InP, ID‐systems

Transistors, Lasers, Solar cells, etc.

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Indirect Recombination (Trap‐assisted)

Phonon

Ge, Si, ….

Transistors, Solar cells, etc.

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Auger Recombination
3

Phonon (heat)
( )
2 1

3 InP, GaAs, …
1 2

4 Lasers, etc.

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Impact Ionization – A Generation Mechanism

3
4

Si, Ge, InP

Lasers, Transistors, etc.

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Indirect vs. Direct Bandgap 

The top & bottom of bands do not align at

same wavevector k for indirect bandgap material
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 Photon Energy and Wavevector

2π EV + E photon = EC
=kV + =k photon = =kC
a
E photon
k photon

2π 2π 2π 2π
k photon = = << =
λ in μ m 1.21 / E photon in eV a 5 × 10−4 μ m

Photon has large energy for excitation through bandgap,

b t its
but it wavevector
t iis negligible
li ibl comparedd tto size
i off BZ

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Phonon Energy and Wavevector

EV + E phonon = EC
=kV + =k phonon = =kC

2π 2π 2π 2π
k phonon = = ≈ =
λ =υ sound / E phonon a 5 ×10−4 μ m
Phonon has large wavevector comparable to BZ,
but negligible energy compared to bandgap

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Localized Traps and Wavevector

2π 2π
ktrap ≈ ~
a 5 × 10−4 μ m
Trap provides the wavevector
necessary for indirect transition

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Outline

1) Non‐equilibrium systems
N ilib i t
2) Recombination generation events
3) Steady‐state and transient response
4) Derivation of R‐G formula
5) Conclusion

Ref. Chapter 5, pp. 134‐146

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Equilibrium, Steady state, Transient

Steady state
Steady state
Equilibrium

n,p)
(n
Device time

Transient

Environment
(n,p)

time

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 Detailed Balance: Simple Explanation
The rates of exchange of people (particles)  between 
every pair of countries (energy  levels) is balanced. 
2 Hence the name “Detailed
Hence the name  Detailed Balance
Balance”.
Mexico
2 USA Detailed balance is the property of equilibrium

3 3 The population of each of the countries (energy levels) 
remains constant under detailed balance.
4
China 4 The concept of detailed balance is powerful, because it 
The concept of detailed balance is powerful because it
can be used for many things (e.g. reduce the number 
of unknown rate constants by half, and derive particle 
India distributions like Fermi‐Dirac, Bose‐Einstein 
d
distributions, etc.)
b )

•9 in &  9 out 
•9 in & 9 out
•All numbers are people/unit time.
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Steady‐state Response
Disturbing the detailed balance requires create 
Disturbing the detailed balance requires create
non‐equilibrium conditions (needs energy). 
Unidirectional forces (red lines) can create such 
Non‐equilibrium conditions.   
3
The rates of exchange of people (particles)  Mexico
between every pair of countries (energy  2 USA
levels) is NOT balanced but the sum of all arrival
levels) is NOT balanced, but the sum of all arrival 
and departures to all countries is zero.  1 4 6
The flux at steady state is balanced overall, but 
5
the flux is NOT the same as in detailed balance China 4
(e.g. 12 in and 12 out in SS vs. 9 in and 9 out for 
Detailed Balance, for example).
India
The population of a country (energy level) remains 
1
constant with time after steady state is reached. 

One can use the requirement that net flux at 
O th i t th t t fl t 12 in and 12 out from USA
12 in and 12 out from USA 
steady state be zero  to calculate steady state 
population of a country (Eq. 5.21) 17
 Detailed Balance, Transient, Steady‐state

2 3
2 Mexico
Mexico Mexico 2 USA
2 USA 3 USA

1 3 5 1 4 6
3 3
4 5 5
4 4 China 4
China China

India India I di
India
1 1

Forced unidirectional connections
Forced unidirectional connections
(red lines) disturbs equilibrium 
9 in 9 out  (e.g. 9 in/12 out at time t1 12 in 12 out 
Population conserved local populations not conserved,  Population stabilized
but global population is
but global population is ….

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Outline

1) Non‐equilibrium systems
N ilib i t
2) Recombination generation events
3) Steady‐state and transient response
4) Derivation of R‐G formula
5) Conclusion

Ref. Chapter 5, pp. 134‐146

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Indirect Recombination (Trap‐assisted)

Phonon

Ge, Si, ….

Transistors, Solar cells, etc.

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Physical view of Carrier Capture/Recombination

(1) Before a capture

NT = nT + pT

(3) After hole capture (2) After electron capture

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Carrier Capture Coefficients

υtht

dn ⎡ A × υth t × pT × σ n ⎤
= −n × ⎢ ⎥
dt ⎣ A × t ⎦
1 * 2 3
m υth = kT ≡ −cn pT n cn ≡ σ nυth
2 2

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Capture Cross‐section

σ n = π r0 2 Zn capture model …

e1 2 ×10−16 cm -2

5 × 10−18 6 × 10−15
e2 h1

e3 7 × 10−14
h1

Cascade model for capture
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Conclusions

1) There are wide variety of generation‐recombination events 
that allow restoration of equilibrium once the stimulus is 
removed.
2) Direct recombination is photon‐assisted, indirect 
recombination phonon assisted
recombination phonon assisted. 
3) Concepts of equilibrium, steady state, and transient 
d
dynamics should be clearly understood.
i h ld b l l d d

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 24