ECE3040B

Microelectronic Circuits
Spring 2010
Professor: Stephen E. Ralph

Exam 2

Instructions
• Closed book, NO notes allowed.
• Useful information is included at the end
• Non programmable calculators allowed.
• All Work to be completed on the test sheets provided booklet (use blank extra sheet at
back if necessary).
• Underline final answer and include the correct units. Show all work.
• Always assume that the material being considered is silicon unless otherwise stated.

Report any and all ethics violations to the instructor. Sign your name and print you name below

I observed the Georgia Tech Honor code during this exam:

_________________________________
Print Name

__________________________________
Signature

Total point value: 120 Points

Time Allowed: 1 hour 20 Minutes

ECE3040B Exam 2 1 of 12 12 March 2010

1) (26pts)) Answer the
t following questions as conciisely as posssible.
(a) For the
t diode sy ymbol shown
n, identify thee cathode an nd anode
(b) For tthe diode sy
ymbol shown
n identify thee n-type side
e and p-typed d side
(c) For the
t diode sy ymbol shown
n identify thee bias polaritty to produce
e a reverse bias
b

a)_____
________ ___
__________
__

b)_____
________ ___
__________
__

c)_____
________ ___
__________
__

(d) The minority ca

arrier diffusion equatio
on is a speccial case of what more
e general
equa
ation?

(e) The sketch sho

ows the pottential vs. position
p of a PN junctio
on with zero
o bias.
a What ma
a. aterial is more heavilyy doped? WhyW
b Sketch the
b. t bandstrructure

(f) A GaAs PN jun nction has 10

1 volts app on. If Nd iss 1017 cm-3. What
plied acrosss the junctio
is th
he minority hole densitty if
a The volttage corresponds to a forward bia
a. as?
b The volttage corresponds to a reverse bia
b. as?

(g) Sketch the ban

ndstructure for a Zenerr diode. At what voltage do you expect
e Zen
ner
mecchanism to appear? Exxplain.

(h) Wha
at is CVD? (in the con
ntext of se
emiconducttor processing?)

ECE3040B Exam
E 2 2 of 122 12 Marrch 2010
2) (24pts) Complete the table below for a PN junction. The minority carrier
concentration gradient at the edge of the depletion region on the N side
Increases Decreases Insufficient Explain
Parameter Information

Forward bias

Reverse bias

P dopant

concentration

N dopant

concentration

Hole Diffusion

length

Minority carrier

lifetime

ECE3040B Exam 2 3 of 12 12 March 2010

 3) (15 pts) Small Signal Model

a) Sketch the circuit elements of a large signal model of a junction diode. Identify
each element.
b) How do we approximate the behavior of a diode in the small signal model ie useful
for ac circuit analysis?
c) If a diode is forward biased with a DC current of 12.5mA what is the small signal
conductance?

ECE3040B Exam 2 4 of 12 12 March 2010

4) (20pts) A silicon PN junction is uniformly doped with ND = 1 × 1015 cm-3 on the N-side and
NA = 1 × 1018 cm-3 on the P-side. Assume that it has semi-infinite QNR and depletion
approximation prevails.
a. Under forward biased condition, which side of the QNR has higher peak excess minority
carrier concentration? Why?

b. If the bias is changed from V1 to V2, the corresponding depletion width change on n-side
of the DR is defined as ∆xn = |xn(V2)- xn(V1)|, and that on the p-side DR is defined as
∆xp=|xp(V2)-xp(V1)|. If V1 corresponds to a reverse-biased the condition and V2
corresponds to a forward-biased condition, which change (∆xn or ∆xp) is greater? Explain
your answer briefly.

c. Calculate the depletion junction capacitance (CJ) of this diode at VA= -5 V. The junction
temperature is 300K and the relative dielectric constant Ks=11.8.

d. For the conditions of part c) do you expect the diffusion capacitance to be larger or
smaller than the junction capacitance? Explain

ECE3040B Exam 2 5 of 12 12 March 2010

5) (15 pts ) For a properly designed P+N junction fill in the best combination of
Electron or hole or electron and hole AND ONE of the following: Diffusion,
Drift, Recombination Or None of the above

a. Forward bias current is associated primarily with ______________________

b. The reveres bias current associated primarily with ________________________

c. Current in the P region near the DR is associated primarily with_______________

For a generic PN diode:

d. Given a semilog plot of the forward bias I-V characteristics, how do you determine

Io?

e. Why is the reverse bias current expected to be small in magnitude and to saturate

at a small reverse voltage?

ECE3040B Exam 2 6 of 12 12 March 2010

6) (20pts) 20pts PN junction parameters

A silicon PN junction is constructed which has the following parameters(assume abrupt

step junction):
-3 16 -3 -3 2
NA = 1018 cm , ND = 10 cm , ni =1 x1010cm , µp = 350cm /V s,
2
µn = 1100cm /V s, τp = τn = 1ms, T = 300 K, and a junction area of 10µm by 10µm.

(b) The built-in potential across the depletion region.

(c) The width of the depletion region for a reverse bias of 12Volts.
(d) Find the saturation current Io. Does the hole or electron diffusion current
dominate? Explain

ECE3040B Exam 2 7 of 12 12 March 2010

Useful info ∂ (∆n p ) ∂ 2 (∆n p ) ( ∆n p )
Continuity Eq = DN − + GL
∂t ∂x 2
τn
or
∂ (∆pn ) ∂ (∆pn ) (∆pn )
2
= DP − + GL
∂t ∂x 2 τp

⎛ ( FN − Ei ) ⎞ ⎛ ( Ei − FP ) ⎞
⎜ kT ⎟⎠ ⎜ kT ⎟⎠
Quasi Fermi Levels n = ni e ⎝
and p = ni e ⎝

Diode Equations pp
= e qVbi kT
np = n exp(qVA / kT )
2
i pn
2
n
∆n(− x p ) = [exp(qVA / kT ) − 1]
i p( x p )
= e q (Vbi −Va ) kT
NA p( xn )
n2
∆p ( xn ) = i [exp(qVA / kT ) − 1] p( xn )
ND = eqVa kT

pn
d∆np
d∆pn J n = −qD n
Jp = −qD p dx
dx
2 D n ⎛ qVA kT ⎞ ( − x ''/ Ln )
2
D p ni ⎛ qVA kT ⎞ ( − x '/ LP ) Jn = q n i
⎜e − 1⎟ e for x '' ≥ 0
Jp =q ⎜e − 1⎟ e for x ' ≥ 0 Ln N A ⎝ ⎠
Lp N D ⎝ ⎠

⎛ qVA kT ⎞ ⎛ Dn ni2 D p ni2 ⎞

I = Io ⎜ e − 1⎟ where I o = qA ⎜ + ⎟⎟
⎝ ⎠ ⎜ L N L N
⎝ n A p D ⎠
NAxp=NDxn
Kε A
C junction = s o
W x
V ( x) = − ∫ E( x)dx
− xp
⎡ pno Lp + n po Ln ⎤⎦ qA
CDiffusion = g d ⎣ qN A
IS V ( x) = ( x p + x) 2 ....... − x p ≤ x ≤ 0
2 K sε o
2KSε o ( N A + N D ) V ( x) =
qN A
xp x −
qN D 2
x .......0 ≤ x ≤ xn
W = x p + xn = Vbi K sε o 2 K sε o
q N AND
or
kT ⎡ N A N D ⎤ qN D
Vbi = ln ⎢ ⎥ V ( x) = Vbi − ( xn − x) 2 .......0 ≤ x ≤ xn (textbook )
q ⎣ ni2 ⎦ 2 K sε o
1/ 2
−qN A ⎡ 2K ε NA ⎤
E(x) = ( x p + x)........ − x p ≤ x ≤ 0 xn = ⎢ s o Vbi ⎥
K sε o ⎣ q ND (N A + ND ) ⎦
1/ 2
and ⎡ 2K ε ND ⎤
xp = ⎢ s o Vbi ⎥
−qN A qN D ⎣ q N A (N A + ND ) ⎦
E(x) = xp + x........0 ≤ x ≤ xn
K sε o K sε o Total Depletion Width W
and 1/ 2
⎡ 2K ε ( N A + N D ) ⎤
E(x) = 0............. − ∞ ≤ x ≤ − x p , xn ≤ x ≤ ∞ W ≡ xn + x p = ⎢ s o Vbi ⎥
⎣ q N AND ⎦
J p ⎡⎣ Amps cm 2 ⎤⎦ = qµ p p∇ ( Fp q ) = σ p ∇ ( Fp q )
ECE3040B Exam 2 8 of 12 12 March 2010
 qτ
∇•E =
ρ
or in 1D,
dE
=
ρ µ n, p =
K sε o dx K sε o mn*, p
D = µ kT / q
L = Dτ 3
⎛ mn* ⎞ 2 −3
J = JN(x))+JP(x) N c = 2.51x10 ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ cm at 300 K
19

⎝ mo ⎠
JN = qµnnE+qD
n Ndn/dx
d 3
⎛ mv* ⎞ 2 −3
JP = qµppE-qD
p Pdp
p/dx N v = 2.51x10 ⎜⎜ ⎟ cm at 300 K
19
⎟
⎝ o⎠
m

dω 1 dE E
vg = =
dk h dk
⎡ h2k 2 ⎤
d⎢ *⎥
1 ⎣ 2m ⎦ 1 ⎡ h 2 k ⎤ hk
= = ⎢ * ⎥= *
h dk h⎣m ⎦ m µo E ⎧µ E when E → 0
vd = ≅⎨ o
⎩ vsat when E → ∞
1
⎡ ⎛ µ E ⎞β ⎤ β

⎢1 + ⎜⎜ o ⎟⎟ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎝ vsaat ⎠ ⎥⎦

∞
n= ∫ N ( E ) f ( E )dEE
c
dω 1 dE
vg = =
Ec

1 d
dk h dk
f (E) =
⎛ E − EF ⎞ ⎡h k ⎤
2 2
1 + exp ⎜ ⎟ d⎢ *⎥
⎝ kT ⎠ 1 ⎣ 2 m ⎦ 1 ⎡ h 2 k ⎤ hk
= = ⎢ * ⎥= *
h dk h⎣m ⎦ m

ECE3040B Exam
E 2 9 of 122 12 Marrch 2010
 iD = I D + g d vd

ID + IS
gd = in General
G
VT
ID
gd ≈ in Forw
ward Bias
VT
−IS + IS
gd ≈ ≈ 0 in Reversee Bias
VT

ECE3040B Exam
E 2 10 of 122 12 Marrch 2010
 Properties of Si
Atoms/cm3 5.0E22
Atomic Weight 28.09 Properties of GaAs
Breakdown field (V/cm) ~3E5
Crystal structure Diamond Atoms/cm3 4.42E22
Density (g/cm3) 2.328 Atomic Weight 144.63
Dielectric Constant 11.9 Breakdown field (V/cm) ~4E5
Nc (cm-3) 2.8E19 Crystal structure Zincblende
Nv (cm-3) 1.04E19 Density (g/cm3) 5.32
Effective Mass, m*/m0 Dielectric Constant 13.1
Electrons 0.98 Nc (cm-3) 4.7E17
Holes 0.49 Nv (cm-3) 7.0E18
Electron affinity, x(V) 4.05 Effective Mass, m*/m0
Energy gap (eV) at 300K 1.12 Electrons 0.067
Intrinsic carrier conc. (cm-3) 1.45E10 Holes 0.45
Intrinsic Debye Length (um) 24 Electron affinity, χ (V) 4.07
Intrinsic resistivity (-cm) 2.3E5 Energy gap (eV) at 300K 1.424
Lattice constant (A) 5.43095 Intrinisic carrier conc. (cm-3) 1.79E6
Linear coefficient of thermal Intrinsic Debye length (um) 2250
2.6E-6
expansion, L/LT(C-1) Intrinsic resistivity (Ω-cm) 1E8
Melting point (C) 1415 Lattice constant (A) 5.6533
Minority carrier lifetime (s) 2.5E-3 Linear coefficient of thermal
6.86E-6
expansion, ∆L/(L ∆T) (C-1)
Mobility (drift) (cm2/V-8) 1500 Melting point (C) 1238
450
Minority carrier lifetime (s) ~1E-8
Optical-phonon energy (eV) 0.063
76(electron) Mobility (drift) (cm2/V-s)
Phonon mean free path (A) 8500
55(hole) 400
Specific heat (J/g C) 0.7 Optical-phonon energy (eV) 0.035
Thermal conductivity (W/cmC) 1.5 Phonon mean free path (A) 58
Thermal diffusivity (cm2/s) 0.9 Specific heat (J/g C) 0.35
1 at 1650C Thermal conductivity (W/cmC) 0.46
Vapor pressure (Pa)
1E-6 at 900 C
Thermal diffusivity (cm2/s) 0.44
100 at 1050C
Vapor pressure (Pa)
1 at 900 C
Elastic constants (Mb=1E12
1.1810, 0.5320,
dynes/cm2) at 300K
0.5940
c11, c12, c44

ECE3040B Exam 2 11 of 12 12 March 2010

Extra page

ECE3040B Exam 2 12 of 12 12 March 2010