Physical Phenomena in Semiconductors.

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Conduction. Otherwise than in metals, in semiconductors participate to conduction
phenomena two kind of charge carriers: negative charge carriers (electrons) and positive
charge carriers (holes). In the presence of an electric field both charge carriers will move on
the direction of this field (electrons in the opposite way and holes in the same way of the
field). Then, in a semiconductor we will have two components of the current density:

jn env n en nE
j p epv p ep pE

v n nE where,

respectively,
are the drift

v p pE

velocities
of charge carriers. These velocities are proportional with the intensity of electric field ( E) and
the constant of proportionality is so called the mobility of the charge carrier.
Then the total current density can be written like the sum of both components :

jt jn j p env n epv p en nE ep pE

1.1.

From this equation we can find the expression of electrical conductivity of the
semiconductor material:

jt E

jt
e n n p p
E

In intrinsic semiconductor n p ni , then the dependence of conductivity versus

temperature will have the same shape with intrinsic density of charge carriers, plotted versus
temperature.
The dotted line represents the conductivity for
metals. Of course this figure represents a
qualitatively plot of conductivity. From this plot
we can see the difference between metals and
semiconductors:
for
semiconductors
the
conductivity increase exponentially with the
temperature, and at room temperature the
conductivity of semiconductors is lower then the
conductivity of metals. This property is used in
passive devices, so called thermistors.
In the case of extrinsic semiconductors the relation 1.1. remain valuable, but the density of
charge carriers must be renamed regarding the semiconductor type
N doped semiconductor:

jT jn j p en n nE ep n pE

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The leading conductivity in such semiconductors will be done by electrons because

nn pn ; nn ND , then:

N eND n

jT jn j p en p nE ep p pE
P doped semiconductor:
The leading conductivity in such semiconductors will be done by holes because
pp np ; pp NA , then:

P eNA p

Diffusion. If in a region of a semiconductor is a density gradient of charge carriers (see

Fig.2), a diffusion current will born.

The motion of charge carriers (in our example electrons) is random. Then, the number of
electrons which move from the right to the left through the plane xo , in the mean free time
(the time between two collisions) is:

N L R

1
1
dn

n ( x0 ) l n ( x0 )
l l S

2
2
dx

in the same time a number of electrons go from the right to the left trough the same plane,
N RL

1
1
dn

n( x 0 ) l n( x 0 )
l l S

2
2
dx

where l is mean free path.

Then the total number of electrons, which go through this plan, is the difference between
these two numbers:

NT NRL NLR

1 dn 2
l S
2 dx
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This movement of charge carriers creates a current which have the density

jDn

I Q eNT
1 l dn
dn

e
l
eDn
S S S
2 dx
dx

where the constant D is the so called diffusion constant. By the same argument we can find
the density current of holes

jDp eDp

dp
dx

Generation and Recombination of charge carriers. The density of charge carriers cant
become infinitely (in time) because in the same time with the generation phenomena exist
the recombination phenomena. At thermal equilibrium (balance) the generation rate must
equalise the recombination rate.
The recombination rate must be proportional with the density of charge carriers

R Const. n0p0
In the case of P type semiconductor

p0 NA ; n0 np0

Rn Const. NAnp
where p is mean life time of minority carriers.
In the case of N type semiconductor n0 ND

np0
n

; p0 pn0

Rp Const. NDpn

, then

, than

pn0
p

where p is mean life time of minority carriers.

Then, if we have an excess of minority carriers, let be in a P type semiconductor, from any
reasons, we can find the time evolution of this excess:

dpn G R dt but G
pn ( t ) pn0
dpn

dt
p

pn0
p

and

pn ( t )
p

then the first relation can be written

which is the first order differential equation which has next solution:

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pn ( t ) pn0 pn ( 0 ) pn0 e

t
p

(see figure)

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