SDP - Problem Sheet - 1
1. If the density of states related effective masses of electrons and holes in a certain atom are
approximately 1.02me and 0.75me respectively, and the electron and hole drift mobilities at
room temperature are 1150 and 350 cm 2V-1s-1 respectively, calculate (i) intrinsic carrier
concentration (ii) intrinsic resistivity, of the given atom.(Eg = 0.72 eV)
2. Find the resistance of 2 cm3 pure silicon crystal. What is the resistance when the crystal is doped
with phosphorous if the doping is 1 part per billion (ppb). Given: Atomic concentration of Silicon
is 5 * 1022 cm-3; ni = 1.45 * 1010 cm-3; μe = 1350 cm2V-1s-1 and μh = 450 cm2V-1s-1.
3. (a) A Silicon wafer is doped n-type with 10 16 atoms cm-3. Calculate the position of the Fermi level
(EF) with respect to intrinsic Fermi level (E Fi) in intrinsic Si. (b) Above sample is further doped
with 8 * 1018 boron atoms cm-3. Calculate the position of the Fermi energy (E F) with respect to
intrinsic Fermi energy(EFi) of Si. (Assume T = 300 K, ni = 1.45 * 1010 cm-3).
4. A Si sample is doped with 10 16 phosphorous atoms cm-3. At 300K, calculate the electron and
hole concentrations and the position of Fermi level. Assume the distribution of states in the
conduction band is given by N(E)dE = 8 * 10 20 *(sqrt(E))dE cm-3. Calculate the number of
electrons between the energy interval 1.9kT and 2.1kT above the band edge E C.
5. In a Semiconductor sample, donor and acceptor levels are 0.4 eV apart from each other. If 70
percent of the acceptors are ionized at 300K, evaluate the fraction of ionized donors.
6. Calculate the density of states per unit volume for a free electron with energies between 0 and
2 eV.
7. Determine the total number of energy states in silicon between Ec and Ec + 2kT.
8. Determine the probability of a state being occupied by an electron at E c, if the Fermi level lies
0.4 eV below the conduction band energy.
9. Calculate the temperature at which there is a 1 percent probability that a state 0.25 eV below
the Fermi energy level will not contain an electron. (Given EF = 5 eV).
10. The Fermi energy of copper at T = 300K is 7 eV. The electrons in copper follow Fermi-Dirac
distribution function. (a) Find the probability of an energy level at 7.15 eV being occupied by an
electron. (b) If EF is assumed to be constant, repeat (a) at T = 1000K. (b) Repeat (a) for E
= 6.85 eV and T = 300K.
11. Calculate the position of Fermi level with respect to the valence band energy in p-type GaAs at
T = 300K. (Let Na = 4.5 * 1015 cm-3 and Nd = 3.5 * 1014 cm-3 )
12. The carrier effective masses in a semiconductor are m n* = 0.75m0 and mp* = 1.6m0. Determine
the position of the intrinsic Fermi level with respect to the center of the gap at T = 320K.
13. The intrinsic carrier concentration in silicon is to be no greater than n i = 1 * 1012 cm-3. Assume
Eg = 1.12 eV. Determine the maximum temperature allowed for silicon.
14. Fermi level in n-type silicon at T = 300K is 250 meV below the conduction band and 220 meV
below the donor level. Determine the probability of finding an electron (a) in the donor level
(b) in a state in the conduction band kT above the conduction band edge.
15. Calculate the position of the Fermi energy level with respect to intrinsic fermi level for donor
concentrations of Nd = 1014, 1016, 1018 cm-3, at T = 300K.
16. Determine the total number of energy states in GaAs between Ev and Ev – kT at T = 300 K.
17. If EF = EC, find the probability of a state being occupied at E = Ec + kT.
18. Four electrons exist in a one-dimensional infinite potential well of width a = 10 Å. Assuming the
free electron mass, what is the Fermi energy at T = 0K.
19. Plot the function f(αa) = 9 sin αa/αa + cos αa for 0 ≤ αa ≤ 6π. Also, given the function
f(αa) = cos ka, indicate the allowed values of αa which will satisfy this equation.
20. What is the meaning of Fermi-Dirac probability function?
21. Calculate the thermal equilibrium electron and hole concentration in Silicon at T = 300 K for the
case when the Fermi energy level is 0.22 eV below the conduction band energy E c.
22. For the above problem, calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration (E g = 1.12 eV).
23. Calculate the electron concentration using the Fermi-Dirac integral. (Given ηF = 2 and F1/2(ηF) =
2.3)
24. (a) Determine the values of n0 and p0 for silicon at T = 300 K if the Fermi energy is 0.22 eV above
the valence band energy. (b)Assume EF = Ev. Determine p0.
25. Semiconductor material is doped at N d=2*1013cm-3, Na=0, and the intrinsic carrier concentration
is ni=2*1013 cm-3. Assume complete ionisation. Determine the thermal equilibrium majority and
minority carrier concentrations.