Lecture 4
PN Junction and MOS Electrostatics(I)
Semiconductor Electrostatics in Thermal
Equilibrium
Outline
• Non­uniformly doped semiconductor in thermal
equilibrium
• Relationships between potential, φ(x) and
equilibrium carrier concentrations, po(x), no(x)
–Boltzmann relations & “60 mV Rule”
• Quasi­neutral situation
Reading Assignment:
Howe and Sodini; Chapter 3, Sections 3.1­3.2
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1. Non­uniformly doped semiconductor in
thermal equilibrium
Consider a piece of n­type Si in thermal equilibrium
with non­uniform dopant distribution:
Nd
Nd(x)
x
What is the resulting electron concentration in
thermal equilibrium?
n­type ⇒ lots of electrons, few holes
⇒ focus on electrons
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OPTION 1: electron concentration follows doping
concentration EXACTLY ⇒
n o (x) = N d (x)
no, Nd
no(x)=Nd(x)?
Nd(x)
x
Gradient of electron concentration
⇒ net electron diffusion
⇒ not in thermal equilibrium!
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OPTION 2: electron concentration uniform in space
n o (x) = n ave ≠ f(x)
no, Nd
Nd(x)
no = f(x)?
x
Think about space charge density:
ρ(x) ≈ q[N d (x) − n o (x)]
If Nd(x) ≠ no(x)
⇒ ρ(x) ≠ 0
⇒ electric field
⇒ net electron drift
⇒ not in thermal equilibrium!
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OPTION 3:
Demand that Jn = 0 in thermal
equilibrium at every x (Jp = 0 too)
Diffusion precisely balances Drift
J n (x)
drift
= J n (x)
+
diff
Jn (x) = 0
What is no(x) that satisfies this condition?
partially uncompensated �
donor charge
no, Nd
Nd(x) +
no(x)
-
net electron charge
x
Let us examine the electrostatics implications of
no(x) ≠ Nd(x)
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Space charge density
ρ(x) = q[Nd (x) − n o (x)]
partially uncompensated �
donor charge
no, Nd
Nd(x) +
no(x)
-
net electron charge
x
ρ
+
x
−
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Electric Field
Poisson’s equation:
dE ρ (x)
=
dx
εs
Integrate from x = 0:
x
E(x) − E(0) =
1
εs
′ x ′
∫ ρ(x )d
0
no, Nd
Nd(x) +
no(x)
x
ρ
+
x
−
E
x
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Electrostatic Potential
dφ
= −E(x)
dx
x
Integrate from x=0:
∫
φ(x) − φ(0) = − E (x )d
′ x ′
0
Need to select reference
(physics is in the potential difference, not in absolute value!);
Select φ(x = 0) = φref
no, Nd
Nd(x) +
no(x)
x
ρ
+
x
−
E
x
φ
φref
x
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2. Relationships between potential, φ(x) and
equilibrium carrier concentrations, po(x), no(x)
(Boltzmann relations)
dno
Jn = 0 = qnoµ n E + qDn
dx
µ n dφ 1 dno
•
=
•
Dn dx no dx
Using Einstein relation:
q dφ d(ln no )
•
=
kT dx
dx
Integrate:
(
)
q
no
φ − φref = ln no − ln no,ref = ln
kT
no,ref
(
q φ − φ
ref

no = no,ref exp

kT

Then:
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



9
Any reference is good
In 6.012, φref = 0 at no,ref = ni
Then:
no = ni e
qφ kT
If we do same with holes (starting with Jp = 0 in thermal
equilibrium, or simply using nopo = ni2 );
po = n i e
−qφ kT
We can re­write as:
kT
no
φ=
• ln
q
ni
and
kT
po
φ=−
• ln
q
ni
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“60 mV” Rule
At room temperature for Si:
no
n
o
φ = (25m ) • ln
= (25mV) • ln (10) • log
ni
n i
Or
φ ≈ (60m )• log
n
o
n i
EXAMPLE 1:
18
n o = 10 cm
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⇒ φ = (60m
) × 8 = 480 mV
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“60 mV” Rule: contd.
With holes:
po
φ = − (25m )• ln
= − (25m
ni
po
)• ln (10) • log
ni
Or
φ ≈ − (60 m ) • log
p
o
n i
EXAMPLE 2:
18
n o = 10 cm
−3
⇒ φ = −(60m
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⇒ p o = 10 cm
−3
) × −8 = 480mV
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Relationship between φ, no and po:
po, equilibrium hole concentration (cm−3)
p-type
1019 1018
1016
1014
1012
φp+�
�
n-type
intrinsic
1010
108
106
104
102 101
φn+�
φ (mV)
−550 −480
−360
−240
−120
0
120
240
360
�
480 550
−550 −480
φp+�
−360
−240
−120
0
120
240
360
480 550
φn+�
φ (mV)
�
101 102
�
104
106
p-type
108
1010
1012
1014
intrinsic
1016
1018 1019
n-type
no, equilibrium electron concentration (cm−3)
Note: φ cannot exceed 550 mV or be smaller than -550 mV.
(Beyond this point different physics come into play.)
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Example 3: Compute potential difference in thermal
equilibrium between region where no = 1017 cm­3 and no
= 1015 cm­3.
φ(no = 1017 cm− 3 ) = 60 × 7 = 420 mV
φ(no = 1015 cm− 3 ) = 60 × 5 = 300 mV
φ(no = 1017 cm− 3 ) − φ(n o = 1015 cm −3 ) = 120 mV
Example 4: Compute potential difference in thermal
equilibrium between region where po = 1020 cm­3 and po
= 1016 cm­3.
φ( po = 10 20 cm− 3 ) = φmax = − 550mV
φ( po = 10 16 cm −3 ) = − 60 × 6 = − 360mV
φ( po = 10 20 cm− 3 ) − φ(po = 1016 cm− 3 ) = −190 mV
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3. Quasi­neutral situation
If Nd(x) changes slowly with x ⇒ no(x) also changes
slowly with x. WHY?
Small dno/dx implies a small diffusion current. We do
not need a large drift current to balance it.
Small drift current implies a small electric field and
therefore a small space charge
Then:
no (x) ≈ N d (x)
no(x) tracks Nd(x) well ⇒ minimum space charge
⇒ semiconductor is quasi­neutral
no, Nd
Nd(x)
no(x) = Nd(x)
x
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What did we learn today?
Summary of Key Concepts
• It is possible to have an electric field inside a
semiconductor in thermal equilibrium
– ⇒ Non­uniform doping distribution.
• In thermal equilibrium, there is a fundamental
relationship between the φ(x) and the equilibrium
carrier concentrations no(x) & po(x)
– Boltzmann relations (or “60 mV Rule”).
• In a slowly varying doping profile, majority carrier
concentration tracks well the doping concentration.
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