NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOHY SIKKIM

Ravangla Campus
Barfung Block, Ravangla Sub Division, South Sikkim 737139

Assignment: Module 1
Subject: Semiconductor Devices (EC13103)
(Academic Year: 2019-2020)

1. The work function of a material refers to the minimum energy required to remove an electron
from the material. Assume that the work function of gold is 4.90 eV and that of cesium is 1.90
eV. Calculate the maximum wavelength of light for the photoelectric emission of electrons for
gold and cesium.
2. According to classical physics, the average energy of an electron in an electron gas at thermal
equilibrium is 3kT/2. Determine for T=300K, the average electron energy (in eV), average
electron momentum, and the de Broglie wavelength.
3. The uncertainty in position is 12 Å for a particle of mass 510-29 kg. Determine the minimum
uncertainty in (a) the momentum of the particle, and (b) the kinetic energy of the particle.
4. The uncertainty in the position of an electron is no greater than 1Å. Determine the minimum
uncertainty in its momentum. (b) The electron’s energy is measured with an uncertainty no
greater than 1 eV. Determine the minimum uncertainty in the time average which the
measurement is made.
5. An electron in free space is described by a plane wave given by Ψ(x,t) = Aei(kx-ωt), where k =
1.5109 m-1 and ω = 1.5  1013 rad/s. (a) Determine the phase velocity of the plane wave. (b)
Calculate the wavelength, momentum, and kinetic energy (in eV) of the electron.
6. Consider a particle with mass of 10mg in an infinite potential well 1.0 cm wide. (a) If the
energy of the particle is 10 mJ, calculate the value of n for that state. (b) What is the kinetic
energy of the (n+1) state? (c) Would quantum effects be observable for this state?
7. Calculate the lowest energy level for a neutron in a nucleus, by treating it as if it were in an
infinite potential well of width equal to 10-14 m. Compare this with the lowest energy level for an
electron in the same infinite potential well.
8. Two semiconductor materials have exactly the same properties except that material A has a
bandgap energy of 1.0 eV and material B has a bandgap energy of 1.2 eV. Determine the ratio of
ni of material A to that of material B for T = 300 K.
9. 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 E C. Given that EF is 0.25 eV below EC, calculate ni and the
concentration of electrons and holes in the semiconductor at 300K.
10. A GaAs device is doped with a donor concentration of 31015 cm-3. For the device to operate
properly, the intrinsic carrier concentration must remain less than 5 percent of the total electron
concentration. What is the maximum temperature that device may operate?

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11. A special semiconductor material is to be designed. The semiconductor is to be n-type and
doped with 11015 cm-3 donor atoms. Assume complete ionization and assume Na = 0. The
effective density of states functions are given by N C = NV = 1.51019 cm-3 and are independent of
temperature. A particular semiconductor device fabricated with this material requires an electron
concentration to be no greater than 1.011015 cm-3 at T = 400K. What is the minimum value of
bandgap energy?
12. Silicon atoms, at a concentration of 1010 cm-3, are added to gallium arsenide. Assume that the
silicon atoms act as fully ionized dopant atoms and that 5 percent of the concentration added
replace gallium atoms and 95 percent replace arsenic atoms. Let T = 300K. (a) Determine the
donor and acceptor concentration. (b) Calculate the electron and hole concentrations and the
position of Fermi level with respect to E Fi.
13. (a) A silicon semiconductor is in the shape of a rectangular bar with cross-sectional area
100m2, a length of 0.1 cm, and is doped with 51016 cm-3 arsenic atoms. The temperature is T =
300K. Determine the current if 5V is applied across the length. Repeat part (a) if the length is
reduced to 0.01 cm. (c) Calculate the average drift velocity of electrons in part (a) and (b).
14. Consider silicon doped at impurity concentration of Nd = 21016cm-3 and Na = 0, an empirical
expression relating electron drift velocity to electric field is given by:
 n0 E
vd 
2
  n0 E 
1   
 v sat 
Where, n0 = 1350 cm2/V-s, vsat = 1.8107cm/s, and E is given in V/cm. Plot electron drift current
density (magnitude) versus electric field (log-log scale) over the range 0  E  106 V/cm.
15. A semiconductor material has electron and hole mobilities n and p respectively. When the
conductivity is considered as a function of the hole concentration p 0, (a) show that the minimum
value of conductivity, min, can be written as:

2 i  n  p 
1/ 2

 min 
 n  p 

Where, i is the intrinsic conductivity, and show that the corresponding hole concentration is p 0
= ni(n/p)2.
16. (a) Assume that the electron mobility in an n-type semiconductor is given by:
1350
n  cm / V  s
2

 Nd 
1  
16 
 5  10 
Where Nd is the donor concentration in cm-3. Assuming complete ionization, plot the
conductivity as a function of Nd over the range 1015  Nd  1018 cm-3. (b) Compare the results of
part (a) to that if the mobility were assumed to be a constant equal to 1350 cm2/V-s. (c) If an

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electric field of E = 10V/cm is applied to the semiconductor, plot the
electron drift current density of parts (a) and (b).

n cm
3

17. Consider a sample of silicon at T = 300K. Assume that the electron 5  10
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concentration varies linearly with distance as shown in the Fig. The

diffusion current density is found to be Jn = 0.19A/cm2. If the electron
diffusion coefficient is Dn = 25 cm2/s, determine the electron
concentration at x = 0. 0 0.01
x cm 
18. The electron concentration in a sample of n-type silicon varies linearly from 1017 cm-3 at x =
0 to 61016 cm-3 at x = 4 m. There is no applied electric field. The electron current density is
experimentally measured to be - 400 A/cm2. What is the electron diffusion coefficient?
19. The hole concentration in germanium at T = 300K varies as:
  x  3
px   10 exp 
15
cm
 22.5 
Where, x is measured in m. If the hole diffusion coefficient is Dp = 48 cm2/s, determine the hole
diffusion current density as a function of x.
20. The electron concentration in silicon at T = 300K varies as:
  x  3
n x   10 exp 
16
cm
 18 
Where x is measured in m and is limited to 0  x  25 m. The electron diffusion coefficient is
Dn = 25 cm2/s, and the electron mobility is n = 960 cm2/V-s. The total electron current density
through the semiconductor is constant and equal to Jn = - 40A/cm2. The electron current has both
diffusion and drift components. Determine the electric field as a function of x which must exist
in the semiconductor.
21. In n-type silicon, the Fermi energy level varies linearly with distance over a short range. At x
= 0, EF-EFi = 0.4 eV, and at x = 10-3cm, EF-EFi = 0.15eV. (a) Write the expression for the electron
concentration over the distance. (b) If the electron diffusion coefficient is D n = 25cm2/s, calculate
the electron diffusion current density at (i) x = 0, and (ii) x = 510-4cm.
22. The electron concentration in a semiconductor is given by n = 1016(1-x/L) cm-3 for 0  x  L
where L = 10 m. The electron mobility and diffusion coefficient are n = 1000 cm2/V-s and Dn
= 25.9 cm2/s. An electric field is applied such that the total electron current density is a constant
over the given range of x and is J n = -80A/cm2 . Determine the require electric field versus
distance function. (b) Repeat part (a) if Jn = -20 A/cm2.Calculate the hole diffusion current
density at (a) x = 0, (b) x = 5, and (c) x = 10 m.
23. Consider a semiconductor in which n0 = 1015 cm-3 and ni = 1010cm-3. Assume that the excess
carrier lifetime is 10 -6s. Determine the electron-hole recombination rate if the excess-hole
concentration is p = 51013cm-3.
24. A semiconductor in thermal equilibrium has a hole concentration of p 0 = 1016cm-3 and an
intrinsic concentration of ni = 1010 cm-3. The minority carrier life time is 210-7s. (a) Determine

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the thermal equilibrium recombination rate of electrons. (b) Determine the change in the
recombination rate of electrons if an excess electron concentration of n = 1012 cm-3 exists.
25. An n-type silicon sample contains a donor concentration Nd = 1016 cm-3. The minority carrier
hole lifetime is found to be p0 = 20 s. (a) What is the lifetime of the majority carrier electrons?
(b) Determine the thermal equilibrium generation rate for electrons and holes in this material. (c)
Determine the thermal equilibrium recombination rate for electrons and holes in this material.
26. A sample of semiconductor has a cross- sectional area 1 cm2 and a thickness of 0.1 cm.
Determine the number of electron-hole pairs that are generated per unit volume per unit time by
the uniform absorption of 1 watt of light at a wavelength of 6300 Å. Assume each photon creates
one electron-hole pair. (b) If the excess minority carrier life time is 10 s, what is the steady state
excess carrier concentration?
27. A hypothetical semiconductor has an intrinsic carrier concentration of 1.01010 cm-3 at 300K,
it has the conduction band and valence band effective densities of states NC and NV both equal to
1019cm-3.
(a)What is the bandgap Eg?
(b) If the semiconductor is doped with Nd = 11016 donors/cm3, what are the equilibrium electron
and hole concentrations at 300K?
(c)If the same piece of semiconductor, already having Nd = 11016 donors/cm3, is also doped
with Na = 21016 acceptors/cm3, what are the new equilibrium electron and hole concentration
at 300K.
(d) Consistent with your answer to part (c), what is the Fermi level position with respect to the
intrinsic Fermi level EF-Ei?
28. Consider a p-type semiconductor that has a bandgap of 1.0 eV and minority electron lifetime
of 0.1s, and is uniformly illuminated by light having photon energy of 2.0 eV.
(a)What rate of uniform excess carrier generation is required to generate a uniform electron
concentration of 1010/cm3?
(b) How much optical power per cm3 must be absorbed in order to create the excess carrier
population of part (a)?
(c)If the carriers recombine via photon emission, approximately how much optical power per
cm3 will be generated?
29. A sample with 1016/cm3 donors is optically excited such that 1019/cm3 electron-hole pairs are
generated per second uniformly in the sample. The laser causes the sample to heat up to 450K.
Find the quasi-Fermi levels and the change in conductivity of the sample upon shining the light.
Electron and hole lifetimes are both 10 s. Dp = 12 cm2/s; Dn = 36cm2/s; ni = 1014 cm-3 at 450K.
What is the change in conductivity upon shining light?
30. An n-type Si sample with Nd=1015/cm3 is steadily illuminated such that gop= 1021 EHP/cm3-s.
If n = p = 1 s for this excitation, calculate the separation in quasi-Fermi levels, (EFn-EFp).