ECE 374

Introduction to Semiconductor Devices

Communicationwithinstructor:
Email:leonid.tsybeskov@njit.edu
Appointments:atleast23daysinadvance
Officehours:byappointment

Coursenotes:
Tobedistributedviaemailinpptformat

Gradescriteria:(QZs,MidtermExam,FinalExam,see
coursesyllabus)

Phone:x6594,EECE207 1
ProfessorLeonidTsybeskov email:leonid.tsybeskov@adm.njit.edu
 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices: Course Structure
1. Brief Review of Semiconductor Physics:

Fundamentals of quantum mechanics. Crystal

structure and chemical bonds in Si and GaAs.
Energy bands. Electron and hole concentrations.
Electron and hole mobilities and drift velocities.
Basic semiconductor equations.

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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
2. Diodes and Contacts. Schottky diodes. Ohmic
contacts. P-n junctions. Photodiodes and Solar
Cells.
3. MOS capacitors and MOSFETs
FET principle of operation. Family of FETs.
Charge control models. MOSFET threshold
voltage. Velocity saturation. MOSFET
modeling. FET small signal equivalent circuit.
CMOS. Physical constraints on MOSFET
performance. Compound semiconductor
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MESFETs.
 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
4. (Depending on the class performance)
Optical Properties of Semiconductors.
Optoelectronic devices: light emitters,
photodetectors, modulators and waveguides.
Semiconductor laser diodes

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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
Motivation

Paul Romer (1990s):

The wealth is created by innovations and inventions,

such as computer chips.

Importance of new semiconductor devices

for modern civilization:

~ 108 MOSFETs per person in the Developed World -

Electronic industry is now the largest industry worldwide.
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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
Growth of World Gross Domestic Product
(WGDP, currently ~ $ 70T), average ~ 3% per
year;
Electronics ~ 10% per year
Semiconductors ~ 15% per year

Latest innovations in semiconductors: solid

state lightning, nanoscale electronics and
photonics lowering cost per device unit

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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
Better than magic of Wizard of Oz,
The king of devices is now CMOS.

Not even one of the human race

Has ever visited the k-space.

Benefited every person in every nation,

When Einstein discovered his famous relation

For every device and for every junction

Is very important the Fermi-Dirac function
M. Shur (RPI)
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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
History of Semiconductors
1821: Thomas Seebeck discovered
semiconductor properties of PbS
1833: Michael Faraday reported on conductivity
temperature dependence for a new class of
materials semiconductors
1873: W. Smith discovered light sensitivity of
semiconductors
1875: Werner von Siemens invented a selenium
photometer
1878: Alexander Graham Bell used this device
for a communication system 8
 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
History of Semiconductors, cont.
1907 Round demonstrated the first LED (using SiC)
1947: Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley discovered a
Bipolar Junction transistor and MODERN AGE
BEGAN
1954: Chapin, Fuller, and Pearson developed a solar
cell.
1958: John Kilby, invented the Integrated Circuit (IC).
1958: Leo Esaki discovered a tunnel diode (Esaki
diode).
1960: Kahn and Atalla demonstrated the first MOSFET
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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Devices
History of Semiconductors, cont.
1962: three groups headed by Hall, Nathan, and Quist demonstrated a
semiconductor laser.
1963: Gunn discovered microwave oscillations in GaAs and InP (Ridley-
Watkins-Hilsum-Gunn effect).
1963: Wanlass and Sah introduced CMOS technology

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Semiconductor Devices => VLSI =>
Microprocessors => Computers

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 Summary of Progress in
Semiconductor Devices
Semiconductors devices and integrated circuits

Semiconductors science and technology

Solid State Physics Quantum Mechanics

E&M Theory Optics

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 Introduction to Semiconductor
Physics: Major Physical Constants
Dielectric permittivity of vacuum
Electron charge
Boltzmanns constant
Plancks constant
Free electron mass

In 1901, Planck showed that the radiation energy

distribution can be explained by assuming that
electromagnetic waves are emitted and absorbed as discrete
quanta or photons.
E = hv (h x frequency)
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Photons have no rest mass but have energy and wavelength
 An exercise with small and large
numbers
1. Speed of light in vacuum is v = 299,792, 458 m/s.
Express speed of light in cm/s and km/hour.

2. The wavelength of HeNe laser is 632.8 nm. The

relationship between light speed v, wavelength and
frequency f is v=f (check units). Calculate (a)
frequency of HeNe laser light in Hz and (b) photon
energy in eV (electron volt). For (b) use Plancks
formula and Plancks constant in appropriate unites.

Calculators are permitted, the exercise time is up to 10

minutes
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 Part I: Chemical Bonds; Energy
Bands; Impurities & Doping
1. Brief introduction to semiconductor band
structure: Chemical bonds and electronic
bands

2. Density of states and semiconductor statistics

3. Impurities and doping

4. Light absorption and emission in

semiconductors
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 Chemical Bonds: Briefly

Formation of a covalent bond between two H

atoms leads to the H2 molecule. Electrons spend majority
of their time between the two nuclei which results in a net
attraction between the electrons and the two nuclei.
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Chemical Bonds: Periodic Table of
Elements
Group IV

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Chemical Bonds: Metallic Crystals
In metallic
bonding the
valence electrons
from
the metal atoms
form a "cloud of
electrons" which
fills the space
between the metal
ions and "glues"
the ions together.
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Chemical Bonds: Ionic Crystals

The formation of an ionic bond

between Na and Cl atoms in
NaCl. The attraction is due to
coulombic forces.
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Chemical Bonds: Ionic Crystals
A schematic illustration of a
cross section from solid NaCl.
NaCl solid is made of Cl and
Na+ ions arranged alternatingly
so that the oppositely charged
ions are closest to each other
and attract each other. There are
also repulsive forces between
the like-ions. In equilibrium
the net force acting on any ion
is zero.
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 Chemical Bonds: Control
Questions
Covalent, metallic and ionic bonding

Electrical current in different types of solids

(from introductory physic courses),

Any prediction on electrical conductance

conductors, isolators or semiconductors?

Semiconductor definition: may or may not

conduct electric current? Why?
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 Crystal Structure: Briefly
A single crystal, also called monocrystal, is a crystalline solid
in which the crystal lattice of the entire sample is continuous
and unbroken with no grain boundaries (long-range order).
The opposite of a single crystal sample is a polycrystalline
sample, which is made up of a number of smaller crystals
known as crystallites. Fabrication of single crystals usually
involves the building of a crystal layer by layer of atoms.
Techniques to produce large single crystals include slowly
drawing a rotating "seed crystal" in a molten bath of feeder
material (as in the Czochralski process).

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 Crystal Structure: Briefly
An amorphous solid is a solid in which there is no long-range
order of the positions of the atoms. Most classes of solid
materials can be found or prepared in an amorphous form. For
instance, common window glass is an amorphous ceramic.
Amorphous materials are often prepared by rapidly cooled
molten material. The cooling reduces the mobility of the
material's molecules before they can pack into a more
thermodynamically favorable crystalline state. In common
parlance, the term glass refers to amorphous oxides, and
especially silicates (compounds based on silicon and oxygen).

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 Crystal Structure: Briefly
The ball-and-spring model of
solids in which the springs
represent the inter-atomic
bonds. Each ball (atom) is
linked to its neighbors by
springs. Atomic vibrations in
a solid involve 3 dimensions.
An atom vibrating about its
equilibrium position stretches
and compresses its springs to
Lattice vibration is the neighbors and has both
characterized by quasi- kinetic and potential energy.
particles called phonons 24
 Phonons: Briefly
A phonon is a quantized mode of vibration occurring in a
rigid crystal lattice, such as the atomic lattice of a solid.
Phonons play a major role in many of the physical properties
of solids, including a material's thermal and electrical
conductivities. In particular, the properties of long-
wavelength phonons give rise to sound in solids -- hence the
name phonon from the Greek (phon) means voice.
In insulating solids, phonons are also the primary mechanism
by which heat conduction takes place (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon).

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 Phonons: Briefly
Phonons are a quantum mechanical version of a vibrational
motion, also known as normal modes in classical mechanics,
in which each part of a lattice oscillates with the same
frequency. These normal modes are important because,
according to a well-known result in classical mechanics, any
arbitrary vibrational motion of a lattice can be considered as
a superposition of normal modes with various frequencies; in
this sense, the normal modes are the elementary vibrations of
the lattice. Although normal modes are wave-like
phenomena in classical mechanics, they acquire certain
particle-like properties when the lattice is analyzed using
quantum mechanics (see wave-particle duality).
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 Crystal Structure: A Unit Cell

The crystal structure of copper is Face Centered Cubic (FCC). The

atoms are positioned at well defined sites arranged periodically and
there is a long range order in the crystal (right). Reduced sphere
representation of the FCC unit cell (left). Examples: Ag, Al, Au, Ca,
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Cu, etc.
 Crystal Structure: BCC

Body centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure. (a) A BCC

unit cell with closely packed hard spheres representing the
Fe atoms. (b) A reduced-sphere unit cell. 28
Crystal Structure: Diamond
The diamond unit cell is
cubic. The cell has
eight atoms. Grey Sn
(-Sn) and technologically
important elemental
semiconductors Ge and Si
have this crystal structure.

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Crystal Structure: Zinc Blend
The zinc blende (ZnS)
cubic crystal structure.
Many important III-V
compound crystals have
the zinc blende structure.
Examples: AlAs, GaAs,
GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP,
InSb, ZnS, ZnTe.

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 Crystal Structure: Elemental
Lattices and Systems
All known crystal structures can be represented using the
seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen
Bravais lattices.

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 Crystal Structure: Elemental
Lattices and Systems
All known crystal structures can be represented using the
seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen
Bravais lattices.

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 Crystal Structure: Elemental
Lattices and Systems
All known crystal structures can be represented using the
seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen
Bravais lattices.

33
 Crystal Structure: Elemental
Lattices and Systems
All known crystal structures can be represented using the
seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen
Bravais lattices.

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 Crystal Structure: Elemental
Lattices and Systems
All known crystal structures can be represented using the
seven crystal systems (unit cell geometries) and fourteen
Bravais lattices.

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 Crystal Structure: Anisotropy of
major properties
Definitions of anisotropy:
Anisotropy (pronounced with stress on the third
syllable), is the property of being directionally
dependent, as opposed to isotropy, which means
homogeneity in all directions. It can be defined as a
difference in a physical property (absorbance, refractive
index, density, etc. ...

Physicists use the term anisotropy to describe direction-

dependent properties of materials (e.g., conductivity).
Many crystals are anisotropic to light ("optical
anisotropy"), and exhibit properties such as
birefringence. 36
 Crystal Structure: Control
Questions
What is the difference between a crystal and an
amorphous (non-crystalline) solid?

What are photons?

What are phonons?

Are there any specific lattice systems related to window

glasses?

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