Day #2

ECE 542
University of Louisville
Fall 2013
Helium walks into a bar.
The bartender points to the door and says, "We
don't serve noble gases in here!
Helium doesn't react.
Name some metals
Name some insulators
Name some semiconductors
Bi
2
Te
3
What is the bandgap?
Bi2Te3
1. What is the bandgap?
2. Is this a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
3. Is this a direct or indirect semiconductor?
Images from: B. Y. Yavorsky, N. F. Hinsche, I. Mertig, and P. Zahn, "Electronic structure and transport
anisotropy of Bi_{2}Te_{3} and Sb_{2}Te_{3}," Physical Review B, vol. 84, p. 165208, 2011.
Diamond
1. What is the bandgap?
2. Is this a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
3. Is this a direct or indirect semiconductor?
Image from: http://www.nextnano.de/nextnano3/tutorial/1Dtutorial_TightBinding_bulk_GaAs_GaP.htm
Band diagrams
Draw a band diagram in k-space
Draw a band diagram in real space (xyz)
Label Ec and Ev
What do Ec and Ev mean?
Electrons and Holes
How many electrons are in the valence band?
Si: 5x10
22
atoms/cm
3
How many electrons are in the conduction band
at 0 Kelvin?
In silicon, there are ~ 10
10
cm
-3
electrons in the
conduction band at room temperature. How
does this compare to the valence band?
Where did the electrons in the conduction band
come from?
How many holes are there in the valence band in
silicon at room temperature?
Holes
What is the charge of a hole?
On a band diagram, show a hole with larger
energy than a hole with lower energy
Possible Quiz Questions for Day #3
1. Consider the following two band diagrams. In which one is the electron
effective mass larger?
2. What symbol represents the electron concentration in the conduction
band?
3. What symbol represents the hole concentration in the valence band?
4. Name two elements that can be used as a donor atom in silicon.
5. Name one element that can be used as an acceptor atom in silicon.
6. Are atoms from column III of the periodic table acceptor atoms or donor
atoms?
7. Are atoms from column V of the periodic table acceptor atoms or donor
atoms?
8. In which column of the periodic table is silicon?
9. Does intrinsic refer to a doped or an undoped semiconductor?
10. Does a donor atom give an electron to the semiconductor, or does it
accept an electron from the semiconductor?
11. Does an acceptor atom give an electron to the semiconductor, or does it
accept an electron from the semiconductor?