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ECE606: Solid State Devices
ECE606: Solid State Devices
Lecture 14: Bulk Recombination
Muhammad Ashraful Alam
alam@purdue.edu

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 1
Outline

1) Derivation of SRH formula
2) Application of SRH formula for special cases
3) Direct and Auger recombination
4)) Conclusion

Ref ADF Chapter 5 pp 141 154

Ref. ADF, Chapter 5, pp. 141‐154

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 2
Sub‐processes of SRH Recombination 

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

(1)+(3):  one electron reduced from Conduction‐band & 
one‐hole
one hole reduced from valence
reduced from valence‐band
band

(2)+(4):  one hole created in valence band and 
one electron created in conduction band
l t t di d ti b d

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 3
SRH Recombination 

Physical picture Equivalent picture

(1) (2) (1) (2)

(3) (4) (3) (4)

(1)+(3):  one electron reduced from C‐band & 
(1)+(3): one electron reduced from C band &
one‐hole reduced from valence‐band
(2)+(4):  one hole created in valence band & 
(2)+(4): one hole created in valence band &
one electron created in conduction band
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 4
 Changes in electron and hole Densities

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

∂n
= −cn n pT + en nT (1 − f c )
∂t 1,2

∂p
= −c p p nT + e p pT fυ
∂t 3 ,4

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 5
 Detailed Balance in Equilibrium

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

∂n ∂p
= −cn n0 pT 0 + en nT 0 = −c p p nT + e p pT
∂t 1,2 ∂t 3 ,4
0 = −cn n0 pT 0 + en nT 0 0 = −c p p0 nT 0 + pT 0e p
c p p0 nT 0
en = cn
n0 pT 0
≡ cn n1 ep ≡ = c p p1
nT 0 pT 0

0 = −cn ( n0 pT 0 − nT 0 n1 ) 0 = −c p ( p0 nT 0 − pT 0 p1 )
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 6
Expressions for (n1) and (p1)

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

n0 pT 0 p0 nT 0
n1 = p1 =
nT 0 pT 0
n0 pT 0 p0 nT 0
n1 p1 = × = n0 p0 = ni2
nT 0 pT 0
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 7
 Expressions for (n1) and (p1)

NT
nT 0 = NT (1 − f 00 ) = β ( ET − EF )
1 + gDe ET

n0 pT 0
= n0
( NT f 00 )
n1 =
nT 0 NT (1 − f 00 )
p1n1 = ni2
β ( EF − Ei )
n1 = ni e ⎡1 + g D e β ( ET − EF ) − 1⎤
⎣ ⎦
β ( ET − Ei )
p1 = ni2 n1
= ni g D e β ( Ei − ET )
= ni g D −1e

8
Dynamics of Trap Population 

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

∂nT ∂n ∂p
=− +
∂t ∂t 1,2 ∂t 3 ,4

= cn n pT − en nT −c p p nT + e p pT

= cn ( npT − nT n1 ) −c p ( p nT − pT p1 )

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 9
Steady‐state Trap Population 

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

∂nT
= 0 = cn ( npT − nT n1 ) −c p ( p nT − pT p1 )
∂t

cn NT n + c p NT p1
nT = = cn ( npT − nT n1 )
cn ( n + n1 ) + c p ( p + p1 )

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 10
Net Rate of Recombination‐Generation 

(1) (2)
(3) (4)

dp
R=− = c p ( p nT − pT p1 )
dt
np − ni2
=
⎛ 1 ⎞ ⎛ 1 ⎞
⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ( n + n1 ) + ⎜ ⎟ ( p + p1 )
⎝ c p NT ⎠ ⎝ cn NT ⎠
τn
τp
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 11
Outline

1) Derivation of SRH formula
2) Application of SRH formula for special cases
3) Direct and Auger recombination
4) Conclusion

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 12
 Case 1: Low‐level Injection in p‐type 

np − n 2
R= i
τ p ( n + n1 ) + τ n ( p + p1 )

=
( n0 + Δn )( p0 + Δn ) − ni2 n0 + Δn
τ p ( n0 + Δn + n1 ) + τ n ( p0 + Δp + p1 )
Δn ( n0 + p0 ) + Δn 2
=
τ p ( n0 + Δn + n1 ) + τ n ( p0 + Δp + p1 )
p0 + Δn
Δn ( p0 ) Δn Δn 2 ≈ 0
= =
τ n ( p0 ) τn
p0 Δn n0
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 13
Case 2: High‐level Injection 

np − ni2
R= e.g. organic solar cells
τ p ( n + n1 ) + τ n ( p + p1 )
n0 + Δn
=
( n0 + Δn )( p0 + Δp ) − n 2
i

τ p ( n0 + Δn + n1 ) + τ n ( p0 + Δp + p1 )

Δn ( n0 + p0 ) + Δn 2
=
τ p ( n0 + Δn + n1 ) + τ n ( p0 + Δn + p1 )
p0 + Δn
Δn 2 Δn
= = Δn
(τ n + τ p ) Δn (τ n + τ p ) p0 n0

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 14
High/Low Level Injection … 

Δn
Rhigh = Δn p0 n0
(τ n + τ p )
Δn p0 Δn n0
Rlow =
τp

which one is larger and why? 

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 15
Case 3: Generation in Depletion Region 

np − ni2
R=
τ p ( n + n1 ) + τ n ( p + p1 )

−n 2
= i
τ p ( n1 ) + τ n ( p1 )

n n1 p p1

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 16
Outline

1) Derivation of SRH formula
2) Application of SRH formula for special cases
3) Direct and Auger recombination
4) Conclusion

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 17
Band‐to‐band Recombination

R = B ( np − n 2
i )
Direct recombination at low‐level injection

n0 ( Δn = Δ p ) p0

R = B ⎣( n0 + Δn )( p0 + Δp ) − ni ⎦⎤ ≈ Bp0 × Δn
⎡ 2

Direct generation in depletion region
n p∼0
n,
R = B ( np − n 2
i ) ≈ − Bn 2
i

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 18
Auger Recombination
2 electron & 1 hole

R = cn ( n 2 p − ni2 n ) + c p ( np 2 − ni2 p )
cn ,c p ~ 10−29 cm6 /sec

Auger recombination at low‐level injection

n0 ( Δn = Δp ) ( p0 = N A )
Δn 1
R ≈ c p N Δn =
2
τ auger =
A
τ auger c p N A2

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 19
Effective Carrier Lifetime

Light

R = RSRH + Rdirect + RAuger

Δn t ⎛ 1 1 1 ⎞
Δn ( t ) = Δ n ( t = 0 ) e
−
τ effff = Δn ⎜ + + ⎟⎟
⎜ τ SRH τ direct τ Auger
⎝ ⎠
= Δn ( cn NT + BN D + cn ,auger N D2 )
τ eff = ( cn NT + BN D + cn ,auger N )
2 −1
D

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 20
 Effective Carrier Lifetime with all Processes

ND
τ eff ≈ cn ,auger N D−2

τ eff = ( cn NT + BN D + cn ,auger N )
2 −1
D
Elec. Dev. Lett., 12(8), 1991. 21
Conclusion

SRH is an important recombination mechanism in 
important semiconductors like Si and Ge. 

p , p
SRH formula is complicated, therefore simplification for 
special cases are often desired. 

Direct band‐to‐band and Auger recombination can also 
Direct band‐to‐band and Auger recombination can also
be described with simple phenomenological formula.

These expressions for recombination events have been 
h f b h b
widely validated by measurements. 

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 22