Lecture 1 Introduction to Semiconductor 11123

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Chapter 1

Diode Basics, Application and Special

Diodes

WEEK 1


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Chapter Outline

1.1 Atomic Structure of Semiconductor

1.2 Semiconductor Material and PN Junction

1.3 Diode

1.4 Diode Characteristics

1.5 Special Purposes Diodes

1.6 Diode in DC and AC Circuits

1.7 Diode Applications


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Atomic Structure

All matter is made from atom.

All atoms consists of electrons (negative charge), protons(positive charge) and neurons (uncharged).

An atom is the smallest particle of an element.

Each type of atom has a certain number of electrons andprotons that distinguishes it from the atoms of all otherelements.

The atomic number equals the number protons in the

nucleus, which is the same as the number of electrons in anelectrically balanced (neutral) atom. (the positive chargescancel the negative charges and the atom has a net charge ofzero).


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Atomic Structure

Energy increases as the distance from the nucleus increases

(electrons near nucleus have less energy than those in more

distant orbits).

These energy level known as shells, and each shell has a

maximum number of electrons at permissible energy levels.

There are 7 layer of shell that orbit the nucleus.

The maximum electron, Ne are determine by, 2 x n2, where n is

number of layer of shell.


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Atomic Structure

The Bohr model of an atom showing electrons in orbits around

the nucleus, which consists of protons and neutrons

(Nitrogen configuration)

electron

neuron

proton

http://education.jlab.org/qa/atom_model_03.gif


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Atomic Structure

Electrons that are in orbits farther from nucleus have higher

energy and are less tightly bound to the atom than those

closer to the nucleus.

This is because the force of attraction between the positively

charged nucleus and the negatively charged electron

decreases with increasing distance from the nucleus.

Electrons in the outermost shell have highest energy.

The outermost shell is known as valence shell and electrons in

the shell are called valence electrons.


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Atomic Structure

Atomic number for Aluminium is 13.

i. What is electron configuration for Aluminium?

ii. Draw a diagram of a Aluminium atom.

iii. How many electrons valence for Aluminium atom?

+13


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Atomic Structure

When an atom absorbs energy, the energies of the electronsare raised.

The electron valence posses more energy and are moreloosely bound to the atom. So they can easily jump to higher

orbits within the valence shell when external energy isabsorbed by the atom.

If a valence electrons acquires a sufficient amount of energy,it can actually escape from the outer shell and atomsinfluence.

The process of losing a valence electron is known asionization (the atom become positive charge with moreprotons than electrons).

The escape valence electron is called a free electron.


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Atomic Structure

The chemical symbol for hydrogen is H. When a neutral

hydrogen loses its valence electron and becomes a positive

ion, it is designated H+.

What is happened if the hydrogen atom receive electron?


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Insulators

An insulator is a material that does not conduct electrical

current under normal conditions.

Valence electrons are tightly bound to the atoms, therefore,

there are very few free electrons in an insulator.

Examples of insulators are rubber, glass, mica, etc.


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Conductors

A conductor is a material that easily conducts electrical

current.

The best conductors are single-elements materials (copper,

silver, gold), which are characterized by atoms with only one

valence electron very loosely bound to the atom.


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Semiconductors

A semiconductor is a material that is between conductors and

insulators in its ability to conduct electrical current.

A semiconductor in its pure (intrinsic) state is neither a good

conductor nor a good insulator.

The most common single-element semiconductors are silicon,

germanium and carbon (the single-element semiconductors

are characterized by atoms with four valence electron).


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Energy Bands

When an electron acquires enough additional energy, it can

leave the valence shell, become free electron, and exist in

what is known as the conduction band.

The different in energy between the valence band and the

conduction band is called an energy gap.

This is the amount of energy that a valence electron must

have in order to jump from the valence band to the

conduction band.

Once in the conduction band, the electron is free to move

throughout the material and is not tied to any given atom.


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Energy Bands

Valence band

Conduction band

Energy

Valence band

Conduction band

Energy

Valence band

Conduction band

Energy

Overlap

a) Insulator b) Semiconductor c) Conductor

Energy diagrams for the three types of materials

Energy gap

Energy gap


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Energy Bands

The valence electron of metal are held loosely by all atom and

free to move about. This electron holds the positive ions of

the metal together, forming metallic bonding.


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Comparison Between Conductor,

Semiconductor and Insulator

Characteristic Conductor Insulator Semiconductor

Resistance

Low resistance for

easy current flow.

High resistance so

current cannot

flow.

Between

conductor and

insulator.

Valence

electron

Atom is tend to

release valence

electron and it

flow freely from

one atom to

another.

Atom is tend to

absorb valence

electron to valence

layer to make it

stable and try

avoid electrical of

chemical activity.

Difficult to free or

accept valence

electron from other

atom.

Energy band

Conduction and

valence band

overlap, electron

easily move

The energy gap is

big, so electron

cannot easily

move.

Between

conductor and

insulator.


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Silicon and Germanium

Silicon is the most widely used material in diodes,

transistors, integrated circuits and other semiconductors

devices.

Both silicon and germanium have the characteristic of four

valence electrons.

Silicon atom

Germanium atom


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Silicon and Germanium

The valence electrons in germanium are in fourth shell while

in silicon in the third shell, closer to the nucleus.

Germanium valence electrons are at higher energy level than

those in silicon (require a small amount of additional energy

to escape from the atom).

This property makes germanium more unstable at high

temperature.

This is why silicon is a more widely used as a semi-conductive

material.


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Covalent Bonds

Atom with 4 valence electron is not stable and it try tocomplete it from 4 to 8 by sharing valence electron with other

atom.

The sharing valence electron is called covalent bond.

This will make the atom is stable and the bond is strong. At absolute zero temperature all electron is in valence band

and it will act as insulator.

At room temperature many electron have sufficient energy to

move to conduction band and it will act as conductor. Silicon absorb more heat than germanium before it act as

conductor, so its more popular.


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Silicon Covalent Bonds

Figure below shows how each silicon atom positions itself withfour adjacent silicon atoms to form a silicon crystal.


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Silicon Covalent Bonds

This effectively creates eight shared valence electrons for

each atom and produces a state of chemical stability.

The centre silicon atom shares an electrons with each of four

surrounding silicon atoms, creating a covalent bond with

each. The surrounding atom are in turn bonded to other

atoms and so on.


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Current In Semiconductors-Conduction Electrons and Holes-

When an intrinsic (pure) silicon crystal covalent bondinterrupted by heat, temperature, doping electron will releasefrom the atom bond and jump to conduction band becomingfree electrons.

Free electrons are also called conduction electrons. Electronis negative charge and is called negative current carrier.

A vacancy is left in the valence band and it is called hole(itspositive charge). It also called positive current carrier.


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Hole

Electron

Heat energy

For every electron free, there is one hole left in valence band

and create electron-hole pair. Recombination occurs when a

conduction band lost energy.

Current In Semiconductors-Conduction Electrons and Holes-


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Current In Semiconductors-Electrons and Holes Current-

Electron current in intrinsic silicon is produced by the movement of

thermally generated free electrons


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When a voltage is applied across a piece of intrinsic silicon,

free electrons are generated in the conduction band (easily

attracted toward the positive end).

The movement of these free electrons is one type of current

in a semiconductive materials, called electron current.

Another type of current occurs in the valence band, where

the holes created by the free electrons exist.

Electrons remaining in the valence band are still attached to

their atoms and are not free to move randomly as the free

electrons.


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However, a valence electron can move into a nearby hole with

little change in its energy electrons, thus leaving another hole

where it came from.

Effectively the hole has moved from one place to another in

the crystal structure.

This is called hole current even though the current in the

valence band is produced by valence electrons.

When a valence electron moves left to right to fill a hole while

leaving another hole behind, the hole has effectively move

from right to left.


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N-Type and P-Type Semiconductor

Doping is a process which impurity atoms are introduces to

intrinsic semiconductor in order to alter the balance between

holes and electron.

There are two categories of impurities : n-type and p-type


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N-Type semiconductor

To increase the number of conduction-band electrons in

intrinsic silicon, pentavalent atom (atoms with 5 valence

electrons such as arsenic (As), antimony (Sb)) are added.

Pentavalent impurity atom in a silicon crystal structure. An antimony (Sb)

impurity atom is shown in the centre. The extra electron from the Sb atom

becomes a free electron.


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N-Type semiconductor

Each pentavalent atom (antimony) forms covalent bond withfour adjacent silicon atoms.

Four of the antimony atoms valence electron are used toform the covalent bonds with silicon atoms, leaving one extraelectron (this is conduction electron because not involved in

bonding). The pentavalent atom also called as donor atom.

The number of conduction electrons can be controlled by thenumber of pentavalent impurity atoms added to the silicon.

The electrons are called the majority carriers in n-typematerials.

There are also a few holes created when electron-hole pairsare thermally generated and holes in n-type material arecalled minority carriers.


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P-Type semiconductor

To increase the number of holes in intrinsic silicon, trivalent

atom (atoms with 3 valence electrons such as boron (B),

indium (In)) are added.

Trivalent impurity atom in a silicon crystal structure. A boron (B)

impurity atom is shown in the centre.


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P-Type semiconductor

Each trivalent atom (boron) forms covalent bond with fouradjacent silicon atoms.

3 of the boron atoms valence electron are used in thecovalent bonds and since 4 electrons are required, a holeresults when each trivalent atom is added.

The trivalent atom also called as acceptor atom (trivalentatom can take an electron).

The number of holes can be controlled by the number oftrivalent impurity atoms added to the silicon.

The holes are called the majority carriers in p-type materials.

There are also a few conduction-band electrons created whenelectron-hole pairs are thermally generated and electrons inp-type material are called minority carriers.

Lecture 1 Introduction to Semiconductor 11123

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Transcript of Lecture 1 Introduction to Semiconductor 11123