Doped semiconductor, donor electron radius

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the radius of a donor electron's circular atomic orbit in a doped semiconductor, specifically with parameters ε/ε0 = 17.9 and m* = 0.015*m_e. The binding energy is derived using the formula E=(13.6eV)*(m*/m_e)*(epsilon_0/epsilon)^2. The radius is connected to the Bohr radius a_0 through the modified exciton radius formula a_{x0} = (4πεħ²)/(m_{r}*e²), where m_{r}* is the reduced mass of the electron and hole. The effective nuclear charge for the electron is Z = 1.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of semiconductor physics and doping concepts.
  • Familiarity with the Bohr model of the atom and its equations.
  • Knowledge of binding energy calculations in quantum mechanics.
  • Proficiency in using constants such as ε0 and ħ in physics equations.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the derivation of the Bohr radius a_0 and its significance in atomic physics.
  • Learn about the concept of reduced mass in quantum mechanics and its application in exciton calculations.
  • Explore the implications of effective nuclear charge in semiconductor physics.
  • Investigate the differences between ε, ε0, and kappa in electrostatics and their relevance in semiconductor equations.
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those studying semiconductor theory, quantum mechanics, and atomic models. This discussion is beneficial for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of donor electron behavior in doped semiconductors.

Yroyathon
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
hi folks, almost done my semester of physics. this problem has my goat, can't quite figure it out. Done web searches endlessly, but most of the links are pdf articles that I can't access.

Homework Statement


A donor electron moves in doped semiconductor, for which ε/ε0 = 17.9 and m* = 0.015*m_e. Find the radius of a circular atomic orbit of such an electron in terms of the Bohr radius a_0 (Fig. 43-37). The effective nuclear charge for such a loosely bound electron is Z = 1.
ans= ____ a_0

Homework Equations


the binding energy E=(13.6eV)*(m*/m_e)*(epsilon_0/epsilon)^2

The Attempt at a Solution


(the figure is unimportant: a circle with a dot in it; I didn't include it)

so I've gotten the binding energy, which is pretty small. but I'm unsure how to connect this to the Bohr equations for radius. or, I'm not even sure if that's the right approach to take.

my question is, given this new binding/ionization energy, how can you find the radius?

Tips or suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.

,Yroyathon
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well you can look up the bohr radius of an electron and proton...

a_0 = \frac{4\pi \epsilon_0 \hbar^2}{m_e e^2}

For the exciton you get...

a_{x0} = \frac{4\pi \epsilon\hbar^2}{m_{r}^* e^2} = \frac{\epsilon}{\epsilon_0}\cdot\frac{m_e}{m_r^*}\cdot a_0

Where 1/m_r^* = 1/m_e^* + 1/m_h^*.

P.S.: You might want to check my work.
 
thank you. that was exactly what I needed. I'd seen something similar to this in my web searches, but with the differences in constant notation (epsilon vs. epsilon_0 vs. kappa vs, etc.) I was pretty confused as to what was in the formula.

thanks!
 

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K