NCN

www.nanohub.org

ECE606: Solid State Devices
L t
Lecture 19: Numerical Solution of Transport Equations 
19 N i l S l ti fT tE ti
Muhammad Ashraful Alam
alam@purdue.edu

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 1
Outline

1) Basic Transport Equations
Basic Transport Equations
2) Gridding and finite differences
3) Discretizing equations and boundary conditions
4) Conclusion

REF. A primer on semiconductor device simulation 
… M. Lundstrom
M L d (
(nanohub.org)
h b )

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 2
Equations to solve … analytical/numerical approach 

∇ • D = q ( p − n + N D+ − N A− ) Band‐diagram
∂n 1
= ∇ • J N − rN + g N
∂t q

J N = qnμ N E + qDN ∇n
∂p −1 Diffusion approximation,
= ∇ • J P − rP + g P Minority carrier transport,
∂t q
J P = qp μ P E − qDP ∇p Ambipolar transport

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 3
 1) The Semiconductor Equations 

Conservation Laws: Constitutive Relations:
D = κε 0 E = −κε 0∇V
∇•D = ρ
ρ = q( p − n + N D+ − N A− )
( )
∇ • J n − q = ( g N − rN ) J n = nq μn E + qDn∇n

∇•(J p q) = ( g P − rP ) J p = pq μ p E − qD
q p ∇p

g N , P = f (n, p ) etc.
((steady‐state)
y )

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 4
 1) The Mathematical Problem

The “Semiconductor Equations”

∇•D = ρ 3 coupled, nonlinear,
second order PDE’ss
second order PDE
( )
∇ • J n − q = ( g N − rN ) for the 3 unknowns:

∇•(J p q) = ( g N − rN ) V (r ) n( r ) p(r )

Conservations laws:  exact
T
Transport eqs. (drift‐diffusion):  approximate
t (d ift diff i ) i t

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 5
Outline

1) Basic Transport Equations
2) Gridding and finite differences
3) Making up the matrix and boundary conditions
Making up the matrix and boundary conditions
4) Conclusion

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 6
 2) The Grid 

(ii) “exact” numerical solutions N nodes
3N unknowns

Vi
a

ni
pi

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 7
 Finite Difference Expression for Derivative

a a df a a df
f ( xo ) = f ( xo + ) − f ( xo + a ) = f ( x 0 + ) +
2 2 dx 2 2 dx
dx

f(x) df fi +1 − fi
=
dx ( xi+1/ 2 ) a
a

xi‐1 xi xi+1 x “centered difference”

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 8
The Second Derivative … 

df a2 d 2 f
f ( x0 + a ) = f ( x0 ) + a + 2
+ ...
dx x0 = a 2 dx x0 = a

df a2 d 2 f
f ( x0 − a ) = f ( x0 ) − a + 2
− ...
dx x0 = a 2 dx x0 = a

2
d f
f ( x0 + a ) + f ( x0 − a ) − 2 f ( x0 ) = a 2 2
dx x0 = a

d f2
fi −1 − 2 fi + fi +1
2
= 2
dx i a
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 9
Outline

1) Basic Transport Equations
2) Gridding and finite differences
3) Discretizing equations and boundary conditions
equations and boundary conditions
4) Conclusion

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 10
 2) Control Volume

3 k
3 unknowns at each node:
t h d x
(i ‐1) ((i)) (i +1)
Vi ,ni , pi
Need 3 equations
Need 3 equations
at each node

“control volume”
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 11
 Discretizing Poisson’s Equation

∇ 2V = − ρ / K sε o ∇ • D = ρ D = K s ε 0 E = - K s ε 0 ∇V

V ( i − 1) − V ( i ) + V ( i + 1) q + −
= − ( pi − ni + ND , i − NA , i )
a 2
K sε 0

(i ‐1) ((i)) (i +1)

DL DR

F (Vi −1 , Vi , Vi +1 , ni , pi ) = 0
V
i

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 12
 Discretizing Continuity Equations

∇ • J n = − q ( g N − rN ) (i ‐1) (i) (i +1)

JnL
dV dn
JnL = −nq μn + kT μn
dx
dx dx
The simplest approach…..

JnL ⎛ ni −1 + ni ⎞ ⎛ Vi − Vi −1 ⎞ ⎛ ni − ni −1 ⎞
= −⎜ ⎟ ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + ⎜ ⎟
kT μn ⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎝ a ( kT / q ) ⎠ ⎝ a ⎠

F (Vi −1 , Vi , ni , ni −1 , pi , pi −1 ) = 0
n
i

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 13
Three Discretized Equations

F =0
V
i x
(i ‐1) ((i)) (i +1, j)
F =0
n
i

F =0
i
p

3 unknowns at each node
3 unknowns at each node
N nodes
3N unknowns and 3N equations (nonlinear!)
3N unknowns and 3N equations (nonlinear!)

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 14
Numerical Solution – Poisson Equation Only 
•  Have a system of 3N nonlinear equations to solve

•  Recall Poisson’s equation at node (i):

F (Vi −1 , Vi , Vi +1 , ni , pi ) = 0
V
i

linear if ni and pi are known [A ]V = b

⎡ V1 ⎤
⎢ V2 ⎥
[A]: V=⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ V ⎦⎥
N
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 15
 Boundary conditions

n0 p0 = n 2
i
nN +1pN +1 = n
2
i

Dopant density
a

V = VA V =0
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 16
 Numerical Solution…

n‐continuity p‐continuity Poisson

⎛ N11 R11 V11 ⎞ ⎡ n( x1 ) ⎤ ⎛ n0 ⎞
⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ n ( x2 ) ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎢.... ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ n ( x )
⎟ ⎢ m ⎥ ⎜ m +1 ⎟ n
⎜ R11 P11 V11 ⎟ ⎢ p ( x1 ) ⎥ ⎜ p0 ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎢ p ( x2 ) ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎢.. =
⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ Pmm ⎟ ⎢ p ( xm ) ⎥ ⎜ pm +1 ⎟
⎜ V11 ⎟ ⎢V ( x ) ⎥ ⎜ Q ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎢ 1 ⎥ ⎜ 11 ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎢V ( x2 ) ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟⎢ ... ⎥ ⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟ ⎜
Vmm ⎠ ⎣⎢V ( xm ) ⎦⎥ ⎝ Qmm ⎠⎟
⎝

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 17
 3) Uncoupled Numerical Solution

The semiconductor equations are nonlinear!
(but they are linear individually)
(but they are linear individually)

Guess V,n,p

Uncoupled solution procedure Solve Poisson
for new V
for new V
repeat
Solve electron
until
cont for new  n
satisfied
Solve hole
cont for new p
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 18
Summary

1) Two methods to solve drift‐diffusion equation consistently –
analytical and numerical. 

2) Analytical
Analytical solution provides great insight and the solution 
solution provides great insight and the solution
methodology is similar to that of Schrodinger equations. 

3) N
Numerical solution is more versatile. One begins with a set 
i l l i i il O b i ih
of equations and boundary conditions, discretize the 
equations on a grid with N nodes to obtain 3N nonlinear 
equations in 3N unknowns, and solve the system of 
nonlinear equations by iteration.

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 19