Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor

Electrical Engineering Department Homework 1 Fall 2015/2016

Due Sunday Oct 13th , 2015/2016

NOTE: Only those problems with a * beside them are graded and should be
submitted

Problem 1

An unknown semiconductor has Eg = 1.1 eV and Nc = Nv. It is doped with 1015 cm-3
donors, where the donor level is 0.2 eV below Ec. Given that EF is 0.25 eV below Ec,
calculate ni and the concentration of electrons and holes in the semiconductor at 300 K.

Problem 2

(a) A Si sample is doped with 1016 cm-3 boron atoms and a certain number of shallow
donors. The Fermi level is 0.36 eV above Ei at 300 K. What is the donor concentration
Nd?

(b) A Si sample contains 1016 cm-3 In acceptor atoms and a certain number of shallow
donors. The In acceptor level is 0.16 eV above Ev, and EF is 0.26 eV above Ev at 300 K.
How many (cm-3) In atoms are un-ionized (i.e.,neutral)?

Problem 3

A semiconductor device requires n-type material; it is to be operated at 400 K. Would Si

doped with 1015 atoms/cm3 of arsenic be useful in this application? Could Ge doped with
1015 cm-3 antimony be used?

Problem 4

A new semiconductor has Nc = 1019 cm-3, Nv = 5 x 1018 cm-3, and Eg = 2 eV. If it is doped
with 1017 donors (fully ionized), calculate the electron, hole, and intrinsic carrier
concentrations at 627C. Sketch the simplified band diagram, showing the position of EF.

Dr. Ali Hajjiah P a g e |1

Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor
Electrical Engineering Department Homework 1 Fall 2015/2016

*Problem 5

(a) Calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration in silicon at (i) T = 250 K and (ii) T = 350
K.
(b) Repeat part (a) for gallium arsenide.

Problem 6

Silicon is doped with 5 x 1016 arsenic atoms/cm3.

(a) Is the material n- or p-type?
(b) Calculate the electron and hole concentrations at T = 300 K.
(c) Repeat part (b) for T = 350 K.

*Problem 7

(a) Calculate the concentration of electrons and holes in a silicon semiconductor sample
that has a concentration of acceptor atoms equal to 1016 cm-3. Is semiconductor n- or p-
type?
(b) Repeat part (a) for germanium.

*Problem 8

Silicon is doped with 2 x 1017 boron atoms/cm3.

(a) Is the material n- or p-type?
(b) Calculate the electron and hole concentrations at T = 300 K.
(c) Repeat part (b) for T = 250 K.

*Problem 9

The electron concentration in silicon at T = 300 K is no = 5 x 1015 cm-3.

(a) Determine the hole concentration.
(b) Is the material n-type or p-type?
(c) What is the impurity doping concentration?

*Problem 10

(a) A silicon semiconductor material is to be designed such that the majority carrier
electron concentration is no = 7 x 1015 cm-3. Should donor or acceptor impurity atoms be
added to intrinsic silicon to achieve this electron concentration? What concentration of
dopant impurity atoms is required?
(b) In this silicon material, the minority carrier hole concentration is to be no larger than
po = 106 cm-3. Determine the maximum allowable temperature.

Dr. Ali Hajjiah P a g e |2

Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor
Electrical Engineering Department Homework 1 Fall 2015/2016

Problem 11

(a) Determine the temperature at which the intrinsic carrier concentration in (i) Si and (ii)
GaAs are equal to the room temperature (300 K) intrinsic carrier concentration of Ge.
(b) Semiconductor A has a band gap of 1 eV, while semiconductor B has a band gap of 2
eV. What is the ratio of the intrinsic carrier concentrations in the two materials (niA/niB) at
300 K. Assume any differences in the carrier effective masses may be neglected.

*Problem 12

(a) A silicon wafer is uniformly doped p-type with NA = 1015/cm3. At T 0 K, what are
the equilibrium hole and electron concentrations?

(b) A semiconductor is doped with an impurity concentration N such that N ni and all
the impurities are ionized. Also, n = N and p = ni2/N. Is the impurity a donor or an
acceptor? Explain.

(c) The electron concentration in a piece of Si maintained at 300 K under equilibrium

conditions is 105/cm3. What is the hole concentration?

(d) For a silicon sample maintained at T = 300 K, the Fermi level is located 0.259 eV
above the intrinsic Fermi level. What are the hole and electron concentrations?

(e) In a nondegenerate germanium sample under equilibrium conditions near room

temperature, it is known that ni = 1013/cm3, n = 2p, and NA = 0. Determine n and ND.

*Problem 13

Determine the equilibrium electron and hole concentrations inside a uniformly doped
sample of Si under the following conditions:

(a) T = 300 K, NA ND, ND = 1015/cm3.

(b) T = 300 K, NA = 1016/cm3, ND NA.
(c) T = 300 K, NA = 9 x 1015/cm3, ND = 1016/cm3.
(d) T = 450 K, NA = 0, ND = 1014/cm3.
(e) T = 650 K, NA = 0, ND = 1014/cm3.

Dr. Ali Hajjiah P a g e |3

Kuwait University EE 230 Semiconductor
Electrical Engineering Department Homework 1 Fall 2015/2016

*Problem 14

(a to e) For each of the conditions specified in Problem 13, determine the position of Ei,
compute EF Ei, and draw carefully dimensioned energy band diagram for the Si sample.
NOTE: EG = 1.08 eV at 450 K and 1.015 eV at 650 K.

*Problem 15

The maximum nondegenerate donor and acceptor doping concentrations in Si at room

temperature is ND 1.6 x 1018/cm3 and NA 9.1 x 1017/cm3, respectively. Prove this
statement?

Dr. Ali Hajjiah P a g e |4