Essentials of Semiconductor Device Physics E-Book

Emiliano R. Martins

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 387

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

ESSENTIALS OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE PHYSICS An introductory semiconductor device physics textbook that is accessible to readers without a background in statistical physics I wish this book had been available when I needed to make a Semiconductor class myself a few years ago [...] A very nice aspect is that some concepts (e.g. density of states) are explained in a way that I have not seen elsewhere. These types of unconventional approaches are very valuable for a teacher. (Bjorn Maes, University of Mons, Belgium) [...] the author offers an accessible description of statistical analysis and adopts it to explain the core properties of semiconductors. [...] [He] uses interesting metaphors and analogies to exemplify some of the most difficult notions, in an innovative and engaging way. (Andrea di Falco, University of St. Andrews, UK) The subject of this book is the physics of semiconductor devices, which is an important topic in engineering and physics because it forms the background for electronic and optoelectronic devices, including solar cells. The author aims to provide students and teachers with a concise text that focuses on semiconductor devices and covers the necessary background in statistical physics. This text introduces the key prerequisite knowledge in a simple, clear, and friendly manner. It distills the key concepts of semiconductor devices down to their essentials, enabling students to master this key subject in engineering, physics, and materials. The subject matter treated in this book is directly connected to the physics of p-n junctions and solar cells, which has become a topic of intense interest in the last decade. Sample topics covered within the text include: * Chemical potential, Fermi level, Fermi-Dirac distribution, drift current and diffusion current. * The physics of semiconductors, band theory and intuitive derivations of the concentration of charge carriers. * The p-n junction, with qualitative analysis preceding the mathematical descriptions. * A derivation of the current vs voltage relation in p-n junctions (Shockley equation). * Important applications of p-n junctions, including solar cells * The two main types of transistors: Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) and Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET) For students and instructors, it may be used as a primary textbook for an introductory semiconductor device physics course and is suitable for a course of approximately 30-50 hours. Scientists studying and researching semiconductor devices in general, and solar cells in particular, will also benefit from the clear and intuitive explanations found in this book.

Leseprobe

Essentials of Semiconductor Device Physics

EMILIANO R. MARTINS

Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of São Paulo, Brazil

This edition first published 2022© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data

Name: Martins, Emiliano R., author. | John Wiley & Sons, publisher.Title: Essentials of semiconductor device physics / Emiliano R. Martins.Description: Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index.Identifiers: LCCN 2021059908 (print) | LCCN 2021059909 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119884118 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119884125 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119884132 (epub)Subjects: LCSH: Semiconductors.Classification: LCC TK7871.85 .M345 2022 (print) | LCC TK7871.85 (ebook) | DDC 621.3815/2–dc23/eng/20220112LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021059908LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021059909

Cover Design: WileyCover Image: © 7activestudio/Getty Images

Preface

This book presents the essential physical processes underlying the operation of semiconductor devices, with an emphasis on the physics of p‐n junctions.

The book is written for undergraduate students taking a short introductory course in semiconductor devices, as typically required in electrical engineering, physics, and material sciences.

A major challenge in teaching semiconductor physics to undergraduate students is that they often do not have an appropriate background in statistical physics. It is not rare for students to embark on a course in semiconductors with no previous conception, for example, of what a Fermi level is. Most books on semiconductors, however, assume a previous background in statistical physics, or even quantum mechanics, thus making them inaccessible to many undergraduates.

This book is an attempt to solve this problem. Here, I assume that the reader has no previous knowledge of statistical physics or quantum mechanics. The main concepts of statistical physics required for a mature understanding of semiconductor device physics are thus provided in Chapter 1. Some very basic concepts of quantum mechanics are also introduced along the way, when necessary. The content of the first chapter is one of the key features that sets this book apart from standard texts in semiconductor physics.

The book opens with a chapter on statistical physics, where the concepts of entropy, temperature, and chemical potential are introduced. Special care is taken to introduce the chemical potential and the Fermi level in an intelligible way. Overall, the concepts are treated rigorously, though I try not to compromise clarity with excessive rigor. The Fermi–Dirac distribution is deduced by means of an example, which I find to be much more intuitive than the traditional derivation based on combinatorial analysis. Finally, the chapter on statistical physics closes with a short introduction to the transport processes relevant to the operation of p‐n junctions.

The physics of semiconductors per‐se are introduced in Chapter 2, relying heavily on the concepts of Chapter 1. The essentials of band theory and hole transport are discussed, followed by calculations of charge carrier concentrations. To emphasise the core ideas behind these calculations, the latter are performed twice: first using a brute force method, and then using the density of states. The chapter closes with a description of doping and its effect on the Fermi level.

Chapter 3 introduces the p‐n junction, which is the main goal of the text. The emphasis is on the role of the Fermi level, and on describing how the relationship between chemical and electrostatic potentials define the electrical properties of a p‐n junction. The electric field in the depletion region is calculated assuming uniform doping and the chapter closes with a derivation of the current vs voltage relationship in a p‐n junction (Shockley equation). As this is an introductory text, non‐idealities are only mentioned, but not described in detail.

Chapters 4 and 5 show two important applications of p‐n junctions.

Chapter 4 introduces photovoltaic devices, with emphasis on solar cells. The physics of solar cells are discussed, and the current vs voltage relationship is explained by means of an equivalent circuit. Finally, the chapter closes with a brief exposition on the efficiencies of solar cells and the physical origins of their limitations.

Chapter 5 introduces the two main types of transistor: Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) and Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). The basic physical principles governing the operation of both types of transistor are presented, and three paradigmatic applications of transistors are discussed: the transistor as an amplifier, the transistor as an electronic switch, and their applications in logic gates.

The text assumes that the reader has no previous knowledge of statistical physics or quantum mechanics, but it assumes a basic knowledge of electrostatics.

About the author

Emiliano earned his PhD in Physics from the University of St. Andrews (UK) in 2014 and has been teaching semiconductors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) since 2016. He is passionate about learning and teaching, about books, coffee and British comedy. He also finds it a bit weird to talk about himself in the third person.

Acknowledgments

The raison d’être of all my endeavours lies within three persons: my wife Andrea, and my two children Tom and Manu. Without you, no book would be written, no passion would be meaningful.

I am grateful to my parents Elcio and Ana for teaching me what really matters, and to my sister Barbara for showing me the easiest way to learn what really matters.

I also thank all my students who contributed with invaluable feedback over all these years. You were the provers guiding the recipe of the pudding. If I have lived up to your expectations, then I have done my job well.

I am grateful to the Wiley team who brought the manuscript to life: Skyler Van Valkenburgh, Sakthivel Kandaswamy, Richard Walshe and Martin Preuss.

Last, but certainly not least, I thank my editor Jenny Cossham for believing in this project.

About the companion website

This book is accompanied by a companion website:

www.wiley.com/go/martins/essentialsofsemiconductordevicephysics 

This website includes:

Solutions

PowerPoint Slides