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    PY4118-08 Generation and Recombination

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    Nadia F Mohammad Al-Roshdee
    This document discusses carrier injection, generation, and recombination in semiconductor devices. It explains that the number of carriers can be increased through injection from an external source or generation through absorption of energy like light. Carriers can also recombine, giving off their energy as heat or light. Specifically, it describes different types of generation and recombination processes like thermal, optical, Auger, and impact ionization and how they relate to direct and indirect bandgap semiconductors. Phonons and their role in thermal generation and recombination are also covered.

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    PY4118-08 Generation and Recombination

    Uploaded by

    Nadia F Mohammad Al-Roshdee
    70 views15 pages
    This document discusses carrier injection, generation, and recombination in semiconductor devices. It explains that the number of carriers can be increased through injection from an external source or generation through absorption of energy like light. Carriers can also recombine, giving off their energy as heat or light. Specifically, it describes different types of generation and recombination processes like thermal, optical, Auger, and impact ionization and how they relate to direct and indirect bandgap semiconductors. Phonons and their role in thermal generation and recombination are also covered.

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    PY4118-08 Generation and Recombination

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    This document discusses carrier injection, generation, and recombination in semiconductor devices. It explains that the number of carriers can be increased through injection from an external source or generation through absorption of energy like light. Carriers can also recombine, giving off their energy as heat or light. Specifically, it describes different types of generation and recombination processes like thermal, optical, Auger, and impact ionization and how they relate to direct and indirect bandgap semiconductors. Phonons and their role in thermal generation and recombination are also covered.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    70 views15 pages

    PY4118-08 Generation and Recombination

    Uploaded by

    Nadia F Mohammad Al-Roshdee
    This document discusses carrier injection, generation, and recombination in semiconductor devices. It explains that the number of carriers can be increased through injection from an external source or generation through absorption of energy like light. Carriers can also recombine, giving off their energy as heat or light. Specifically, it describes different types of generation and recombination processes like thermal, optical, Auger, and impact ionization and how they relate to direct and indirect bandgap semiconductors. Phonons and their role in thermal generation and recombination are also covered.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 15

    Physics PY4118

    Physics of Semiconductor Devices

    8. Carrier Injection, Generation and


    Recombination

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics 8.1
    Focus
    Carriers move due to drift and diffusion.

    The number of carriers can be increased (or


    decreased) through additional processes:
    ◼ Injection (i.e. from an outside source)

    ◼ Generation (absorption of energy, e.g. light)

    ◼ Recombination (carriers recombine to create


    heat/vibrations or light)
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.2
    Injection
    The Fermi was used to calculate the distribution of
    carriers, but only in equilibrium conditions!
    𝐸𝐹 −𝐸𝑖 𝐸𝑖 −𝐸𝐹
    𝑛= 𝑛𝑖 𝑒 𝑘𝑇 𝑝= 𝑛𝑖 𝑒 𝑘𝑇
    This means that the net flow of carriers is zero.
    BUT, we can also inject carriers into the semiconductor,
    causing a flow of current, still using the same equations
    𝐸𝐹𝑛 −𝐸𝑖 𝐸𝑖 −𝐸𝐹𝑝
    Quasi Fermi
    𝑛= 𝑛𝑖 𝑒 𝑘𝑇 𝑝= 𝑛𝑖 𝑒 𝑘𝑇
    levels
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.3
    Quasi Fermi level
    If we know how many carriers have been injected, we can
    invert the equations to find the location of the quasi-Fermi
    levels.
    𝑛 𝑝
    𝐸𝐹𝑛 = 𝐸𝑖 + 𝑘𝑇 ln 𝐸𝐹𝑝 = 𝐸𝑖 − 𝑘𝑇 ln
    𝑛𝑖 𝑛𝑖
    The quasi Fermi levels get further apart as more carriers are
    injected

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.4
    Generation and Recombination
    At finite temperatures, the thermal energy will enable
    electrons to move from the valence to conduction band.
    But, if there is an electron in the conduction band, it may
    give off energy to move back to the valence band.

    In equilibrium, both cancel: Generation = Recombination


    𝐺=𝑅
    But there are multiple forms of generation and recombination.

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.5
    Thermal
    Carriers can be generated through thermal energy, or
    recombined creating thermal energy
    𝐸𝑐
    Δ𝑄 Δ𝑄
    Δ𝑄 Δ𝑄

    𝐸𝑣
    Band – band Trap assisted
    G or R G or R
    (defects or surface states)
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.6
    Phonons (1)
    These are the quantised thermal vibrations.

    𝜆𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 2𝑑

    2𝐿
    𝜆𝑛 =
    𝑛

    𝜆𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 2𝐿
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.7
    Phonons (2)
    Thermal generation and
    recombination takes place
    via phonons.

    Both between and within a


    semiconductor band

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.8
    Optical
    Carriers can be generated through photons, or
    recombination can create photons
    𝐸𝑐
    ℎ𝜈 ℎ𝜈 ℎ𝜈 2ℎ𝜈
    𝐸𝑣
    Band – band Stimulated
    Absorption Emission
    Spontaneous Emission
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.9
    Auger Recombination

    Energy from the recombination


    of one carrier (A) is transferred
    to another. (B) 𝐸𝑐

    This energetic carrier then


    releases its extra energy into
    𝐸𝑣
    phonons (thermal energy) (C)
    (A) (B) (C)

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.10
    Impact Ionisation
    𝐸𝑐 (A)
    A carrier is accelerated in an
    electric field to a higher
    energy state (A) 𝐸𝑣
    (B)
    This energy generates and (C)
    electron hole pair (B)

    This has an avalanche


    multiplication effect. (C)

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.11
    Direct and Indirect Bandgaps

    Why is the photon transition drawn vertically?


    Each transition must satisfy conservation laws.
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.12
    Photons and Phonons
    Photons (light) Phonons (vibrations/heat)
    ℎ𝑐 −6 ℎ𝑣𝑠
    𝐸 = , 𝜆~10 𝑚 𝐸= , 𝜆~10−6 → 10−9 𝑚
    𝜆 𝜆
    𝐸~2𝑒𝑉 𝑐 ≫ 𝑣𝑠 𝐸 < 0.05𝑒𝑉
    ℎ
    𝜆~10 𝑚 −6 𝑝 = = ℏ𝑘 𝜆~10−6 → 10−9 𝑚
    𝜆
    2𝜋𝑎
    𝑘𝑎~0.001𝜋 𝑘𝑎 = 𝑘𝑎~0.001𝜋 → 𝜋
    𝜆
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.13
    Conservation Requirements
    Both energy and momentum must be conserved
    Photons (light) Phonons (vibrations/heat)

    High Energy Low Energy


    Low Momentum High Momentum

    𝐸𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 ≫ 𝐸𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑛
    𝑝𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 ≪ 𝑝𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑛
    𝑘𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 ≪ 𝑘𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑛

    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of


    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.14
    Direct and Indirect Bandgaps

    Δ𝐸 = 𝐸𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 Δ𝐸 ≈ 𝐸𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛
    Δ𝑘 = 𝑘𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 ~0 Δ𝑘 ≈ 𝑘𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑛
    Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, Éire ROINN NA FISICE PY4118 Physics of
    University College Cork, Ireland Department of Physics Semiconductor Devices 8.15

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