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Module 7 Optoelectronic Devices

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Module 7 Optoelectronic Devices

Uploaded by

rakesh.sd2023
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module 7:

Optoelectronic Devices

Lecture Hours 6

Introduction to semiconductors, Direct and indirect


bandgap, Sources-LED & Laser Diode,
Photodetectors- PN & PIN

Text books to be followed:


Modern Physics, Serway/Moses/Moyer
SEMICONDUCTOR

The semiconductor can be classified as

1. Intrinsic semiconductor or pure semiconductor


2. Extrinsic semiconductor or impure semiconductor

INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR

An intrinsic semiconductor is made up a very pure form of


semiconductor material. It’s conductivity is solely determined by the
thermally generated carriers.
At absolute zero, the semiconductor behaves like an insulator.

The conductivity of semiconductor increases with temperature.


Consider pure semiconductors such as germanium and silicon. The
forbidden energy of former is 0.72 eV and the latter is 1.1 eV. At
ordinary temperature, there is many electrons which have sufficient
energy to jump across the small energy gap from the valence to the
conduction band. When an electron jumps, then a positively charged
hole is created in the valence band. In otherwords, in the intrinsic
semiconductor, the number of conduction electrons is equal to
number of holes.
The fig shows the energy band diagram of
semiconductor at room temperature. The
Fermi energy level lies between the middle of
the forbidden energy gap.
The following are the main points to be remembered about intrinsic
semiconductor.
1. The intrinsic semiconductor behaves like an insulator because at
very low temperature, the covalent bonds are very strong. Hence
no free electrons or holes are available for conduction.
2. When thermal energy is supplied (ie at room temperature) some
of the covalent bonds break. Hence electron-hole pairs are
created.

3. When electric field is applied between the intrinsic semiconductor,


holes and free electrons drift in opposite directions. This causes
conduction of current through the crystal.
Conductivity of intrinsic semiconductor is very
less at room temperature. So we move to …..
EXTRINSIC SEMICONDUCOTR
When an impurity atom is added with a pure semiconductor, then it is
called extrinsic semiconductor. The process of adding impurity to a
semiconductor is called doping. The added impurity is called dopant.

Excess Electron Excess Hole


The extrinsic semiconductor can be classified as
1. N-type semiconductor
2. P-type semiconductor
N-type semiconductor
A pentavalent element like phosphorous, arsenic or antimony is doped
with germanium or silicon crystal in the ration 1:106 forms N-type
semiconductor. The impurity atoms lightly formed covalent bond with
germanium. The fifth atom is free to move. This causes electricity to
flow. Here electrons are the majority carries of charge. The holes are
minority carries of charge.

Four Covalent bond are formed


P-type semiconductor
A germanium or silicon crystal doped with a trivalent impurity like
gallium, indium etc are called p-type semiconductor. Here holes are
majority carrier while electrons are minority carriers of charge.
Electron move in valence band which equivalent to hole movement. In
p-type material, conduction is by movement of valence band electron.

Three Covalent bond are formed


Direct bandgap Semiconductors
1. Figure shows the energy an
diagram drawn between energy
E and wave vector of a direct
bandgap semiconductor.

2. As shown in the band


diagram, the minimum energy
of conduction band and
maximum energy of valence
band are having the same
value of wave vector.

3. Here an electron from the


conduction band can
recombine with a hole in the
valence band directly emitting
a light photon of energy hv.
4. Life time (ie recombination
time) of charge carriers is very
less.

5. Due to emission of light


photon during recombination
of charge carriers, these are
used to fabricate LEDs and
laser diodes.

6. These are mostly from


compound semiconductors.

Examples: InP, GaAs

Bandgap energy
InP 1.35 eV
GaAs 1.42 eV
Indirect bandgap Semiconductors
1. Figure shows the energy an
diagram drawn between energy
E and wave vector of a indirect
bandgap semiconductor.
2. As shown in the band
diagram, the minimum energy
of conduction band and
maximum energy of valence
band are having the different
value of wave vector.
3. Here an electron from the
conduction band can
recombine with a hole in
valence band indirectly
through traps. Here there is no
emission of light photon. But
there is emission of phonon
leading to the rise of
temperature of the material.
4. Life time of charge carriers is
more.

5. Due to longer life time of


charge carriers, these are used
to amplify the signals as in the
case of rectifier diodes and
transistors.

6. These are mostly from


elemental semiconductors.

Examples: Si, Ge

Bandgap energy
Si 0.7 eV
Ge 1.12 eV
Laser Diodes
Laser action (with the resultant monochromatic and coherent light
output) can be achieved in a p-n junction formed by two doped
gallium arsenide layers.
The two ends of the structure need to be
optically flat and parallel with one end
mirrored and one partially reflective.
The length of the junction must be
precisely related to the wavelength of the
light to be emitted.
The junction is forward biased and the
recombination process produces light as in
the LED (incoherent).
Above a certain current threshold the photons moving parallel to the
junction can stimulate emission and initiate laser action.
Type Peak Power Wavelength Application
GaAs 5 mW 840 nm CD Players
AlGaAs 50 mW 760 nm Laser printers

GaInAsP 20 mW 1300 nm Fiber communications


A photo diode is a reverse biased semiconductor p-n diode whose
reverse current increases with the increase in intensity of light
incident at the junction.
When light is incident on the p-n junction of a photo diode, the atoms
at the junction absorb the energy of photons and create more free
electrons and holes.
These additional carriers increase the reverse current. As the
intensity of incident light on the junction increase the reverse current
also increases. The lens is used to concentrate the light to the
junction region.
It consists of a p-n junction separated by a wide insulating layer.
On biasing a large electric field exists across this layer. This field
sweeps the excess holes and excess electrons across the insulating
layer ‘i’ by drift. Theses excess carriers contribute to the photo current.
For biasing the diode, two metal electrodes are present, one at the
bottom and the other at the top of the layers.
Used in switching and logic circuits, and to detect laser pulses.

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