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ECE606: Solid State Devices

ECE606: Solid State Devices
Lecture 20: Electrostatics of p‐n junction diodes
Muhammad Ashraful Alam
M h d A h f l Al
alam@purdue.edu

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 1
Outline

1) Introduction to p‐n junctions
2)) Drawing band‐diagrams 
g g
3) Accurate solution in equilibrium
4) Band‐diagram with applied bias
Band diagram with applied bias

Ref. Semiconductor Device Fundamentals, Chapter 5
f d d l h

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 2
 What is a Diode good for ….
solar cells GaAs lasers

Organic LED

Avalanche Photodiode
Avalanche Photodiode GaN lasers
GaN lasers

Image google com

Image.google.com

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 3
p‐n Junction Devices …

Symbols

N P
NA
ND

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 4
Topic Map

Equilibrium DC Small 
Small Large 
Large Circuits
signal Signal
Diode

Schottky

BJT/HBT

MOS

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 5
Drawing Band Diagram in Equilibrium…

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

J N = qnμ N E + qDN ∇n DC  dn/dt

DC dn/dt=00
Small signal dn/dt ~ jωt x n 
∂p −1
= ∇ • J P − rP + g P Transient ‐‐‐ full solution
∂t
∂t q
J P = qp μ P E − qDP ∇p

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 6
 P and N doped Material Side by Side … 

E N‐doped P‐doped

Conduction Band Conduction Band
Ec
EF EF
EV
Valence Band Valence Band

No electron
N l t transfer
t f under
d
‐k k ordinary circumstances!
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 7
 Forming a Junction

ND NA

n = ND p = NA
2
n0 = ni N A
x
Junction

Actual Carrier
n Concentrations p

ln(n), n-side p-side

ln(p) n
p

Bulk Region Depleted Bulk Region

Region x

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 8
 Formation of a Junction 
+
ND NA

ln(ND) ln(NA)
ln(p)
ln(n)

qND Depleted Region
Q=p‐n+N
Q p D‐NA

Bulk Region
Bulk Region Bulk Region
Bulk Region
xn xp -qNA
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 9
Sketch of Electrostatics

Potential Vbi
position

q q
Emax = xp N A = xn N D
EE‐field
field K sε o K sε o

position

qND
p-n+ND-NA
Depleted
Region
position
xn xp
Bulk Region Bulk Region
-qNA 10
Sketch of Electrostatics 

Potential xn xp

position

Band Diagram

position

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 11
Outline

1) Introduction to p‐n junctions
2) Drawing band‐diagrams
3) Analytical solution in equilibrium
4) Band‐diagram with applied bias

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 12
Short‐cut to Band‐diagram 

Space
Neutral Charge Neutral

ND NA
Vacuum level
Vacuum level

χ2
χ1 EC

EF
EV

… is equivalent to solving the Poisson equation

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 13
 Built‐in Potential: boundary conditions @infinity

qVbi
χ2
χ1
Δ1 Eg,2

Δ2

Δ1 + χ1 + qVbi = χ 2 + Eg ,2 − Δ 2
qVbi = Eg ,2 − Δ 2 − Δ1 + χ 2 − χ1
⎛ NA ⎞ ND
= ⎜⎜ Eg ,2 + k BT ln +
⎟⎟ B k T ln + ( χ 2 − χ1 )
⎝ NV ,2 ⎠ NC ,1
N AND
= k BT ln − Eg ,2 / k BT
+ ( χ 2 − χ1 )
NV ,2 NC ,1e
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 14
Interface Boundary Conditions

position
iti
xn xp
E = (D/kεo)
position
xn xp

D1 = K1ε 0 E (0 ) = K 2ε 0 E (0 ) = D2
− −

K2
−
E (0 ) = E (0+ )
K1
Displacement is continuous across the interface, field need not be ..
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 15
Built‐in voltage for Homo‐junctions
Space
Neutral Charge Neutral

ND NA

qVbi
χ1 Vacuum level
χ1 EC
EF
EV

N A ND N A ND N A ND
qVbi = k BT ln −E / k T
+ ( χ 2 − χ1 ) = k B T ln −E / k T
= k B T ln
NV ,2 NC ,1e g ,2 B NV NC e g B ni2
16
 Analytical Solution of Poisson Equation

Depleted  Region
qN
ND
Q=
p
p‐n+N ‐qNA
D‐NA
position
xn xp

d 2V
K S ε 0 2 = − q ( p − n + N D+ − N A− )
dx

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 17
 Analytical Solution for Homojunctions

E (0 ) =
qND -qNA − qN D xn
(Charge)
p-n+ND-NA ksε 0

E (0 )=
position +
qN A x p
xn xp ksε 0
E‐field ⇒ N D xn = N A x p

position
E ( 0− ) xn E ( 0+ ) x p
Potential
Vbi qVbi = +
2 2
position qN D xn 2 qN A x p
2

= +
2k s ε 0 2k sε 0
Small !
Small !

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 18
Depletion Regions in Homojunctions
Space
Neutral Charge Neutral

ND NA
xn xp

N D xn = N A x p 2k s ε 0 NA
xn = Vbi
q ND ( N A + ND )

qN D xn2
qN A x p 2
qVbi = + 2k s ε 0 ND
2k s ε 0 2k sε 0 xp = Vbi
q N A ( N A + ND )

HW: Solve the same problem for a hetero-junction

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 19
Complete Analytical Solution
ρ = q ( N D − NA )
ρ =0 ρ =0
N P
x
-xp 0 xn V
ρ E
qND
-xp -xp 0 xn
x x x
xn -xp xn

-qNA
⎧ −KqNε oA .......... − xp ≤ x ≤ 0
⎪
d E ⎪ qND
s

= ⎨ K sε o ................0 ≤ x ≤ xn
d
dx ⎪
⎪⎩0............. x ≤ − xp , x ≥ xn
0 xn qN D
∫ε dε ′ = ∫ dx′
E ( x) qN A
x
∫
0
dε ′ = −∫
− xp K ε
S 0
dx′ ( x) x KSε 0
qN A qN D
E ( x) = − ( x p + x).......... − xp ≤ x ≤ 0 E ( x) = − ( xn − x)..........0 ≤ x ≤ xn
KSε 0 KSε 0
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 20
Outline

1)) Introduction to p‐n junction transistors
p j
2) Drawing band‐diagrams 
3) Analytical solution in equilibrium
Analytical solution in equilibrium
4) Band‐diagram with applied bias

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 21
Topic Map

Equilibrium DC Small 
Small Large 
Large Circuits
signal Signal
Diode

Schottky

BJT/HBT

MOS

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 22
Applying Bias to p‐n Junction 

ln(I)
() 3 1 Diffusion
1. Diff i limited
li it d
2
2. Ambipolar transport
1
3. High injection
6,7
VA 4. R
R-G
G in depletion

5. Breakdown

4 6. Trap-assisted R-G

5 7. Esaki Tunneling

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 23
Forward and Reverse Bias

ND NA

Forward Bias

ND NA

Reverse Bias

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 24
Band Diagram with Applied Bias…

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

J N = qnμ N E + qDN ∇n
Next class …
∂p 1
= − ∇ • J P − rP + g P
∂t q
J P = qp μ P E − qDP ∇p

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 25
 Applying a Bias: Poisson Equation

qVbi
Max value of Vbi?
EC-EF
EF-EV

n( x ) = ni e (Fn −Ei ) β
q(Vbi-V)
− ( Fp −Ei ) β
p( x ) = ni e
EC-F
Fn
( Fn −Fp ) β
-qV n × p = ni 2 e
Fp-EV

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 26
 Depletion Widths

-V ND NA GND

xn xp

2ksε 0 NA
xn = (Vbi − V )
ND xn = NA x p q ND ( NA + ND )

qND xn 2
qNA x p 2
q (Vbi − V ) = + 2ksε 0 ND
2k s ε 0 2k s ε 0 xp = (Vbi − V )
q NA ( NA + ND )

What about heterojunctions? 
Alam  ECE‐606 S09 27
 Fields and Depletion at Forward/Reverse Biases
VA<0
VA=0
VA>0

Charge
P N
VA<0
VA=0
VA>0

Position Barrier height is reduced 
Barrier height is reduced
at forward biases
Electric Field
VA<0
0
VA=0
VA>0
Significant increase of 
peak field at reverse 
Position bias …
Potential
VA<0
VA=0
VA>0

Position
Alam  ECE‐606 S09
Conclusion

1) Learning to draw band
Learning to draw band‐diagram
diagram is one of the most 
is one of the most
important topic you learn in this course. Band‐diagram 
i
is a graphical way of quickly solving Poisson equation. 
hi l f i kl l i P i i

2) If you consistently follow the rules of drawing band‐
diagrams, you will always get correct results. Try to 
follow the rules, not guess the final result.

Alam  ECE‐606 S09 29