Electronic Devices and Circuits
B.Sc. in Information and Communication Engineering
Saiful Islam
Lecturer
Dept. of Information and Communication Technology
Faculty of Science and Technology
Bangladesh University of Professionals
1
2/1/2022
Semiconductor Diodes
Objectives:
Become aware of the general characteristics of three important
semiconductor materials: Si, Ge, GaAs.
Understand conduction using electron and hole theory.
Be able to describe the difference between n - and p -type materials.
Develop a clear understanding of the basic operation and
characteristics of a diode in the no-bias, forward-bias, and
reverse-bias regions
2
2/1/2022
Semiconductor Diodes
Semiconductors are a special class of elements having a conductivity between
that of a good conductor and that of an insulator.
Silicon (Si) and Germanium (Ge) – Four
electrons in the valence shell
Conductor Semicondutor Insulator
50 Ω-cm (Germanium) 1012 Ω-cm
106 Ω-cm
50x103 Ω-cm (Silicon) (mica)
Semiconductor Diodes
Q.1: Which semiconducting materials are frequently used?
Q.2: What factors need to be considered for device fabrication?
Ge vs. Si vs. GaAs
Semiconductor Diodes
Si has 14 orbiting electrons and
neutrons and protons in Nucleus
Nucleus
1st shell electrons
2nd shell electrons
3rd shell and Valence shell
electrons
Bohr Atomic Model of Si
Semiconductor Diodes
Ge has 32 orbiting electrons and
neutrons and protons in Nucleus
Nucleus
1st shell electrons
2nd shell
electrons
3rd shell electrons
4th and Valence shell electrons
Bohr Atomic Model of Ge
Semiconductor Diodes
One valence electron Four valence electrons
Copper Silicon
+1 +4
The nucleus plus the inner electron orbits
Core diagrams for copper and silicon
Semiconductor Diodes
Covalent Bonding
Silicon atoms in a crystal share electrons
Valence saturation: n = 8
Because the valence electrons are bound, a silicon
crystal at room temperature is almost a perfect insulator.
*Bonding of atoms, strengthened by the sharing of electrons, is called covalent
bonding
Semiconductor Diodes
Covalent bonding (CB) & its features
❑ A bonding of atoms, strengthen by the sharing of electrons, is
called as covalent bonding.
❑ Electron can leave its parent atom if sufficient kinetic energy
is absorbed by the atom from natural causes such as light
energy from photons and thermal energy from surrounding
medium.
Semiconductor Diodes
❑ The term intrinsic is applied to any semiconductor material
that has been carefully refined to reduce the number of
impurities to a very low level—essentially as pure as can be
made available through modern technology.
Semiconductor Diodes
Q.3: What are difference between conductor and semiconductor?
Semiconductor Diodes
Energy Levels
W = QV
1eV = (1, 6 ⋅10−19 C)(1V ) = 1, 6
⋅10−19 J
Semiconductor Diodes
Energy levels: conduction and valence bands of an insulator; semiconductor; and conductor.
The further an electron is from the nucleus, the higher is the energy state, and any
electron that has left its parent atom has higher energy state than any electron in the
atomic structure
Semiconductor Diodes
❑ An electron in the valence band of silicon must
absorb more energy than one in the valence band of
germanium to become a free carrier.
❑ Similarly, an electron in the valence band of gallium
arsenide must gain more energy than one in silicon
or germanium to enter the conduction band.
Semiconductor Diodes
N-type & p-type Materials:
❑ A semiconductor material that has been subjected to the
doping process is called an extrinsic material.
❑ n-type: When pentavalent materials like antimony, arsenic
and phosphorus, are mixed. The diffused impurities with five
valence electrons are called donor atoms.
❑ p-type: When trivalent materials like boron, gallium and
Indium, are mixed. The diffused impurities with three
valence electrons are called acceptor atoms.
Semiconductor Diodes
Base Material Impurity (Pentavalent or
(Si and Ge) Trivalent)
Base Material+Pentavalent impurity n-type
semiconductor
Base Material+Trivalent impurity p-type
semiconductor
Semiconductor Diodes
Semiconductor Diodes
Q.4: How an atom of a semiconductor material
shares valence electrons with other atoms ?
Sharing of valence electrons in Si through covalent bonding
Semiconductor Diodes
Ge Ge Ge Valence
electrons
Ge Ge Ge
Ge GeGe
Sharing of valence electrons in Ge through covalent bonding
Semiconductor Diodes
Semiconductor Diodes
Semiconductor Diodes
Q.5 What does happen when electron leaves its
parent atom?
❑ When electron break a covalent bond and leaves its parent
atom it acquires a free state.
❑ FREE means that electron is free to move towards other
atoms in lattice and its motion is quite sensitive to applied
electric fields such as established by voltage source or any
potential difference across the semiconductor material.
Semiconductor Diodes
Semiconductor Diodes
Electron versus Hole Flow
Semiconductor Diodes
Majority and Minority Carriers
n-type: e- is the majority carrier
p-type: h+ is the majority carrier
Semiconductor Diodes
Question?
26
2/1/2022
Semiconductor Diodes
THANK YOU!
27
2/1/2022
