Intrinsic semiconductor, carrier concentration

In summary, the intrinsic semiconductor has a direct gap valance band and conduction band, with a chemical potential of 5.76eV and a number of charge carriers of 1.45x1021.
  • #1
Incand
334
47

Homework Statement


An intrinsic semiconductor with a direct gap have valance band ##\epsilon_k = E_v-b|k|^2## and conduction band ##\epsilon_k = =E_c+a|k|^2##, with ##E_v=6.0##eV, ##E_c = 5.5eV##, ##a=5.0eV\cdot Å^2##, and ##b=3.0eV\cdot Å^2##.
Calculate the chemical potential ##\mu## and the number of charge carriers ##n+p##.

Homework Equations


Effective mass:
##m^*_e = \frac{\hbar^2}{2a}##
Intrinsic semiconductor ##n=p##:
##p=n = \sqrt{pn} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left( \frac{k_BT}{\pi \hbar^2}\right)^{3/2}(m_e^* m_n^*)^{3/4}e^{-E_g/(2k_BT)}##
##e^{(2\mu-E_g)/k_BT}= \left( \frac{m_h^*}{m_e^*}\right)^{3/2}##
##\mu = \frac{E_g}{2}+\frac{3}{4}k_BT\ln \frac{m_h^*}{m_e^*}##
At ##T\approx 300##, ##k_BT \approx 25.7meV##.

The Attempt at a Solution


For the first part I get the correct answer just plugging in the numbers, with ##E_g = E_c-E_v = 0.5##eV and then shifting the energy by ##E_V## and noting that ##m_h/m_e=a/b##
##\mu = 5.5+0.25+25.7/1000 \cdot ln(5/3) \approx 5.76eV##.

For the second part we can rewrite
##n=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left( \frac{k_BT}{2\pi \sqrt{ab}}\right)^{3/2}e^{-E_g/(2k_BT)}##
plugging in the numbers here we get ##n \approx 1.45\cdot 10^{-9} Å^{-3}= 1.45\cdot 10^{21} m^{-3}##. However the answer claims I should get ##3.9\cdot 10^{23}m^{-3}##.

Any obvious error I'm doing or is the answer incorrect here? The factor in front can change a bit from simply changing ##k_BT## and the answer may be by a factor 2 as well if they mean ##n+p## but the factor of 100 is troubling.

Here is the numerical calculation in matlab
Code:
eg=0.5;
kbt = 25.7e-3;
sqab=sqrt(15);
c=1e30*(kbt/(2*pi*sqab))^(3/2)*exp(-eg/kbt/2)/sqrt(2)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Incand said:
For the second part we can rewrite$$
n=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left( \frac{k_BT}{2\pi \sqrt{ab}}\right)^{3/2}e^{-E_g/(2k_BT)}$$
Where did the "2 π" in the denominator come from? I got just π. This will change the value from 1.45 to about 4 but I agree with you that the power of 10 is +21 given your numbers.
 
  • Like
Likes Incand
  • #3
kuruman said:
Where did the "2 π" in the denominator come from? I got just π. This will change the value from 1.45 to about 4 but I agree with you that the power of 10 is +21 given your numbers.
It's from the 2 in the effective masses ##\left( \frac{k_BT}{\pi \hbar^2}\right)^{3/2}(m_e^*m_h^*)^{3/4} =\left( \frac{k_BT}{\pi \hbar^2}\right)^{3/2}\left(\frac{\hbar^2 \hbar^2}{(2a)(2b)}\right)^{3/4}=\left( \frac{k_BT}{\pi \hbar^2}\right)^{3/2}\left(\frac{\hbar^2}{2\sqrt{ab}}\right)^{3/2}##.
Anyway I take your answer as confirmation that I'm using the correct method so despite the answer being different I think it can be considered solved! Thanks for looking it over!
 

1. What is an intrinsic semiconductor?

An intrinsic semiconductor is a material that has a balanced number of positive and negative charge carriers, making it electrically neutral. This means that it has an equal number of electrons and holes, which are the two types of charge carriers in semiconductors.

2. How is the carrier concentration determined in an intrinsic semiconductor?

The carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor is determined by its temperature and the bandgap energy. As temperature increases, more electrons are excited to the conduction band, increasing the carrier concentration. Conversely, as temperature decreases, more electrons are trapped in the valence band, decreasing the carrier concentration. The bandgap energy also affects the carrier concentration, with a smaller bandgap resulting in a higher concentration of charge carriers.

3. What is the difference between an electron and a hole in an intrinsic semiconductor?

An electron is a negatively charged particle that is able to move freely through the conduction band of a semiconductor. A hole, on the other hand, is a positively charged vacancy in the valence band. In an intrinsic semiconductor, electrons and holes have equal concentrations and play an equal role in conducting electricity.

4. How does doping affect the carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor?

Doping, the process of intentionally adding impurities to a semiconductor, can significantly affect the carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor. Adding donor impurities, such as phosphorus, increases the concentration of electrons, while adding acceptor impurities, such as boron, increases the concentration of holes.

5. What is the relationship between carrier concentration and conductivity in an intrinsic semiconductor?

The carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor directly affects its conductivity. As the concentration of charge carriers increases, so does the material's ability to conduct electricity. This is because more charge carriers are available to carry an electric current through the material.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
904
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
806
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
660
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
894
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
Back
Top