CHAPTER 1

The physics of electrical conduction

OBJECTIVES:
Give an overview of microelectronics so as to provide a
context for the material presented in this course
Develop a basic understanding of fundamentally-important
phenomena of conduction in semiconductors.
Explore an enough depth treatment of device physics to
provide adequate understanding, but must also be sufficiently
brief to allow quick entryinto circuits
Help students being able to calculate conduction properties
of materials and simple deviceChapter
structure:
PN junction.
I
2

TOPICS TO BE COVERED
Chapter 1. The physics of electrical conduction
a. Single carrier conduction
i. Metals and insulators
ii. Conductivity and resistivity
iii. Electron density and mobility
b. Semiconductor energy bands
i. Electrons and holes
ii. Donors and acceptors
iii. Equilibrium carrier concentrations
c. Conduction processes in semiconductors
i. Drift, diffusion
ii. Generation and recombination
iii. Injection
d. Junctions
i. Boundary conditions
ii. Diffusion currents
iii. Charge storage and capacitance

Electron in vacuum

Crystal Lattice

Brownian motion + Directional motion

 Average directional velocity

HOW FAST AN ELECTRON TRAVEL IN A

SOLID?

Current density calculation

Describe resistivity and conductivity

 How many free electrons are created at a

given temperature?
We postulate that the number of electrons depends
on both Eg and T:
a greater Eg translates to fewer electrons, but a
higher T yields more electrons.
Bandgap energy is the minimum energy
needed to free an electron by breaking a
covalent bond in the semiconductor crystal.

Bandgap energy is the minimum energy needed to

free an electron by breaking a covalent bond in the
semiconductor crystal.

Discrete levels discrete regions overlap bands

The discrete energy States of a Si atom (a) are replaced by

the energy bands in a Si crystal (b).

Eg can be determined from the minimum energy (h)

of photons that are absorbed by the semiconductor.

[probability of occupation of state (Fermi-Dirac distribution)] X

[Number of available energy states] = [Population of electron
at CB]

[probability of occupation of state (Fermi-Dirac distribution)] X

[Number of available energy states] = [Population of electron
at CB]

EG = 1.12 eV

EG = 0.66 eV

While an electron is
excited from CB to VB
by thermal energy