EEE F214

Lecture 12-14
Dr. Navneet Gupta

Figure
Indirect generationrecombination processes
at thermal equilibrium.
Carrier life time is complicated
Temporary trapping
Trapping can be slow or fast

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Steady State Carrier Generation

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Example:3

Excitation causes a large percentage change in

minority carrier concentration and a relatively small
change in the majority carrier concentration
Dr. Navneet Gupta

The separation of the quasi-Fermi

levels (Fn-Fp) is a direct measure
of the deviation from equilibrium
[at equilibrium Fn=Fp = EF)

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Change in
resistance when
exposed to light

Dr. Navneet Gupta

 Optical sensitivity:

n n g op ; andp p g op
qg op n n p p

Time of response: choice of material, device

geometry
Compromise between sensitivity, response
time,
dark
resistance,
and
other
requirements in choosing a device for a
particular application

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Current Conduction
The two basic processes of current conduction:
Drift--- in an electric field. This motion will produce
drift current.
Diffusion--- due to carrier gradient. Carriers diffuse
from high concentration to low concentration. This
will give rise to diffusion current.

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Diffusion of Carriers
Let us calculate rate of diffusion in one dimensional
problem

Dr. Navneet Gupta

Dr. Navneet Gupta

10

Lecture -13

Dr. Navneet Gupta

11

Dr. Navneet Gupta

12

Drift and Diffusion Directions

Dashed arrows

Relation between particle flow and current direction

Solid arrows

Assumption

Dr. Navneet Gupta

13

Dr. Navneet Gupta

14

Built-in Fields

For built-in field to exist in a sample, in general, there must

be a positional variation in the carrier concentration.

Dr. Navneet Gupta

15

Diffusion and Recombination: Continuity Equation

Dr. Navneet Gupta

16

Diffusion Equations

Dr. Navneet Gupta

17

Lecture-14

Steady-State Carrier injection:

Diffusion Length

The average distance a hole diffuses before recombining <x> = Lp

Hole current (steady state): Jp = -qDpdp(x)/dx = qDpp(x)/Lp

Dr. Navneet Gupta

18

Example

Dr. Navneet Gupta

19

Gradients in Quasi-Fermi levels

Dr. Navneet Gupta

20

Haynes-Shockley Experiment
Performed by J.R.Hynes and W. Shockley in 1951 at the
Bell Telephone Laboratories.
It allows independent measurement of the minority
carrier mobility and diffusion coefficient.

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

21

Basic
Principle

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

22

 p ( x, t )
2 p ( x, t )
Dp
t
x 2
P x2 /4 D t
p
e
p( x, t )
2 D p t

Number of holes/area
created over a
negligibly small
distance at t = 0

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

23

Experimental-set up

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

24

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

25

END OF

CHAPTER-4

EEE C381

Dr. Navneet Gupta

26