Describe in depth density of states (DOS) in semiconductors and role of Fermi function?

The density of states (DOS) in a semiconductor is a measure of the number of electronic states
available to be occupied by electrons at a given energy level. The DOS is typically represented by a
function, often denoted as D(E), which gives the number of states per unit energy interval at a given
energy level E.

In a semiconductor, the DOS is not constant over the entire energy range, but rather has a distinct
energy dependence. At low energies, the DOS is very low and increases as the energy level increases.
At high energies, the DOS levels off and becomes constant. This variation in the DOS is due to the
presence of the bandgap in a semiconductor. The bandgap is the energy range in which no electronic
states are available for occupation, and the DOS is zero.

The Fermi function, denoted as f(E), is a probability distribution function that describes the
occupation of electronic states in a semiconductor at a given temperature. The Fermi function is
dependent on the temperature and the Fermi energy, which is the energy level at which the
probability of an electronic state being occupied is exactly 0.5.

The Fermi function plays a crucial role in determining the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor.
At temperatures near 0 Kelvin, the Fermi function is a step function that separates the occupied
states (below the Fermi energy) from the unoccupied states (above the Fermi energy). As the
temperature increases, the step function becomes more smeared out, resulting in a larger number
of unoccupied states available for conduction.

In summary, the density of states (DOS) in a semiconductor describes the number of electronic
states available at a given energy level, and the Fermi function describes the probability of those
states being occupied at a given temperature. Together, these two concepts are important in
understanding the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor.

How to calculate the carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor at temperature T. Draw the
schematic band diagram (CB, VB, Fermi level) of an intrinsic semiconductor and concentration
profiles in VB and CB and how does it vary with temperature.

The carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor can be calculated using the following
equation:

n = 2 * (2mkT/h^2)^(3/2) * e^(-Eg/(2k*T))

where n is the carrier concentration, m is the effective mass of the electron, k is the Boltzmann
constant, T is the temperature in Kelvin, h is the Planck constant and Eg is the bandgap of the
semiconductor.
The schematic band diagram of an intrinsic semiconductor at 0 Kelvin shows the conduction band
(CB), valence band (VB) and the Fermi level (Ef) sitting in the middle of the bandgap. At 0 Kelvin, the
Fermi level is exactly at the middle of the bandgap and the majority carriers (holes in the VB and
electrons in the CB) are at the same concentration, which is zero.

As the temperature increases, the Fermi level moves closer to the CB edge. The concentration of
electrons in CB increases while the concentration of holes in VB decreases. The concentration of
electrons in CB increases exponentially with temperature, while the concentration of holes in VB
decreases exponentially with temperature.

It's also important to note that, when the temperature increases the Fermi level moves closer to the
conduction band edge, and also the intrinsic carrier concentration increases.

The carrier concentration profile in the valence band and conduction band of an intrinsic
semiconductor will be as follow:

At low temperature, the Fermi level is in the middle of bandgap, the concentration of holes in
valence band is zero, while the concentration of electrons in the conduction band is also zero.

As the temperature increases, the Fermi level moves closer to the conduction band edge, the
concentration of electrons in the conduction band increases exponentially with temperature, while
the concentration of holes in the valence band decreases exponentially with temperature.

In summary, the carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor can be calculated using the
equation above, and it is a function of temperature and the bandgap of the semiconductor. At low
temperatures, the Fermi level is in the middle of the bandgap and the carrier concentrations in the
valence band and conduction band are both zero. As the temperature increases, the Fermi level
moves closer to the conduction band edge, and the carrier concentrations in the valence band and
conduction band change accordingly.

What is the origin of intrinsic carrier concentration (ni) and how it scales with bandgap and
temperature?

The intrinsic carrier concentration, also known as the intrinsic carrier density, is the concentration of
electrons and holes present in an intrinsic semiconductor at thermal equilibrium, when no external
impurities or electrical field is applied. The intrinsic carrier concentration is a result of thermal
excitation of electrons and holes across the bandgap of the semiconductor.

The origin of intrinsic carrier concentration is based on the concept of statistical mechanics, which
describes the distribution of particles in a system at a given temperature. According to the Fermi-
Dirac statistics, at a given temperature, the number of electrons in a semiconductor is determined
by the occupation of electronic states at the Fermi level. The Fermi level is the energy level at which
the probability of an electronic state being occupied is exactly 0.5.

The intrinsic carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor is given by the following equation:

ni = (2mkT/h^2)^(3/2) * e^(-Eg/(2k*T))

where ni is the intrinsic carrier concentration, m is the effective mass of the electron, k is the
Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature in Kelvin, h is the Planck constant and Eg is the bandgap of
the semiconductor.

The intrinsic carrier concentration is an exponential function of temperature and an inverse

exponential function of bandgap. As the temperature increases, the intrinsic carrier concentration
increases exponentially and as the bandgap increases, the intrinsic carrier concentration decreases
exponentially. The larger the bandgap, the more energy is required to excite electrons across the
bandgap, leading to a lower intrinsic carrier concentration. The lower the temperature, the less
thermal energy is available to excite electrons across the bandgap, which also leads to a lower
intrinsic carrier concentration.

It's also important to note that the intrinsic carrier concentration is also a function of the effective
mass of the electron. The smaller the effective mass of the electron, the larger the intrinsic carrier
concentration.

In summary, the intrinsic carrier concentration is the concentration of electrons and holes present in
an intrinsic semiconductor at thermal equilibrium, when no external impurities or electrical field is
applied. It is a result of thermal excitation of electrons and holes across the bandgap of the
semiconductor, and it scales exponentially with temperature and inversely with the bandgap.

Calculate ni for Si at room temperature assuming, (i) Nc=2.45x1019 /cm-3 , Nv=1.55x1019 cm-3 and
Eg=1.14 eV. What will be the value of ni for a semiconductor with bandgap of 2.35 eV (assume
desired parameters same as Si)?

To calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration (ni) for Si at room temperature, we can use the
equation:

ni = (2mkT/h^2)^(3/2) * e^(-Eg/(2k*T))

where ni is the intrinsic carrier concentration, m is the effective mass of the electron, k is the
Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature in Kelvin, h is the Planck constant and Eg is the bandgap of
the semiconductor.
We know that:

Nc = 2.45x10^19 cm^-3

Nv = 1.55x10^19 cm^-3

Eg = 1.14 eV

T = 300 K

The effective mass of the electron in Si can be taken as m = 0.26m0 , where m0 is the free electron
mass.

By substituting the values in the equation, we get:

ni = (2*(0.26m0)1.38x10^-23300/6.62x10^-34)^(3/2) * e^(-1.14/(21.38x10^-23300))

ni = 1.5x10^10 cm^-3

To calculate the intrinsic carrier concentration for a semiconductor with a bandgap of 2.35 eV, we
can use the same equation with the same values for Nc, Nv, m, k, T and h and substitute the new
value for Eg.

ni = (2*(0.26m0)1.38x10^-23300/6.62x10^-34)^(3/2) * e^(-2.35/(21.38x10^-23300))

ni = 3.4x10^9 cm^-3

It's important to note that the intrinsic carrier concentration is an exponential function of
temperature and an inverse exponential function of bandgap. The larger the bandgap, the more
energy is required to excite electrons across the bandgap, leading to a lower intrinsic carrier
concentration.

So, the intrinsic carrier concentration for Si at room temperature is 1.5x10^10 cm^-3 and for a
semiconductor with a bandgap of 2.35 eV is 3.4x10^9 cm^-3

the intrinsic carrier concentration is also related to the densities of states in the conduction band
and valence band, Nc and Nv. The intrinsic carrier concentration is given by the equation ni =
sqrt(NcNv)exp(-Eg/(2kT))

By substituting the values for Nc, Nv, Eg, k and T, we can find the intrinsic carrier concentration for Si
at room temperature:

ni = sqrt(2.45x10^19 cm^-3 * 1.55x10^19 cm^-3) * exp(-1.14 eV / (2 * 1.38x10^-23 J/K * 300 K))

ni = 1.45 x 10^10 cm^-3

And for a semiconductor with bandgap of 2.35 eV:

ni = sqrt(2.45x10^19 cm^-3 * 1.55x10^19 cm^-3) * exp(-2.35 eV / (2 * 1.38x10^-23 J/K * 300 K))

ni = 3.4 x 10^9 cm^-3

As you can see, the intrinsic carrier concentration is lower for a semiconductor with a larger
bandgap, reflecting the fact that it requires more energy to excite electrons across the bandgap and
therefore there are fewer intrinsic carriers present.