3 Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors
3 Electrons and Holes in Semiconductors 3.1. Introduction Semiconductors : optimum bandgap Excited carriers → thermalisation Chap. 3 : Density of states, electron distribution function, doping, quasi thermal equilibrium electron and hole currents Chap. 4 : Charge carrier generation, recombination, transport equation 3.2. Basic Concepts 3.2.1. Bonds and bands in crystals Free electron approximation to band Ref. CLASSIC “Bonds and Bands in Semiconductors” J. C. Phillips, Academic 1973 Atomic orbitals → molecular orbitals → bands Valence band : HOMO Conduction band : LUMO 1 Semiconductors : 0.5 Eg 3 eV Semi-metals : 0 Eg 0.5 eV Si : sp3 orbital, diamond-like structure 3.2.2. Electrons, holes and conductivity Semiconductors At T 0 K, all electrons are in valence band – no conductivity At elevated temperature, some electrons in conduction band, and some holes in valence band 2 Conduction Band Electrons Valence Band a) a)’ Electron in CB Hole in VB b) b)’ Fig. 3.4. Electron in CB and Hole in VB 3.3. Electron States in Semiconductors 3.3.1. Band structure Electronic states in crystalline Solving Schrödinger equation in periodic potential (infinite) Bloch wavefunction ikr k, r uik r e (3.1) for crystal band i and a wavevector k, which is a good quantum number. The energy E against wavevector k is called by crystal band structure. Typical band diagram plotted along the 3 major directions in the reciprocal space. 0 0 0, X 10 0, M110, L111 3 Point k is called the Brillouin zone boundary. a 2 3 3 For zinc blende structure, 0 0 0, X 0 0, K 0, L a 2a 2a a a a 3.3.2.
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