UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Santa Barbara
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Problem Set No. 7 Issued: May 20, 2011

Spring 2011 Due: May 27, 2011 12 PM

ECE 135

1. The figure below approximates a light emitting diode (LED). When electrical current is injected
to a pn junction photons are emitted inside the semiconductor. You can model this photon
emission process as light coming from a point source as shown in the problem. Point source
radiates in all possible direction with equal intensity. What fraction of the light generated inside
the pn junction comes out of the LED? Comment on the efficiency of LEDs based on your result.
Can you propose ways to improve the efficiency of an LED?

Air 0, 0

semiconductor

pn (3.5)2
isotropic 0

junction

point source
0

Air 0 , 0

2. A silicon p+-i - n+ photodiode is 0.1 mm square. Its i-layer is 30 m thick and has a doping
concentration of 1013 cm-3.

(a) Neglecting surface reflection, and absorption in the contact layer, and taking the = 1 x 104 m-1
at = 0.82 m, calculate the maximum quantum efficiency and responsivity at this wavelength.

(b) Calculate the reverse bias voltage required to 'reach through' to the n+ substrate, and calculate the
capacitance of the diode after reach through.

(c) Calculate the reverse bias voltage required establishing an electric field greater than 106 V/m
everywhere in the i-region.

(d) Calculate the transit times for electrons and holes across the i-region assuming that their average
drift velocities are 7 x 104 and 4 x 104 m/s respectively.

(e) Hence obtain the impulse response when carriers are uniformly generated throughout the i-region.

3. A pn junction detector has a quantum efficiency of 50% at a wavelength of 0.9 m.

(a) What is the responsivity at 0.9 m?

(b) What is the maximum possible size of the bandgap for this material?

(c) Based on your answer to part b, make a sketch of responsivity of this detector as a function of
wavelength between 0.1 and 1.5 m.

4. Reading assignment: Reading assignment: Fiber Optic Communication Systems, Govind P.

Agrawal, Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6.