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Charge Separation Part 1: Diode Lecture 5 9/22/2011 MIT - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Charge Separation Part 1: Diode Lecture 5 9/22/2011 MIT Fundamentals of Photovoltaics 2.626/2.627 Fall 2011 Prof. Tonio Buonassisi 1 2.626/2.627 Roadmap You Are Here Buonassisi (MIT) 2011 2 2.626/2.627: Fundamentals Every


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SLIDE 1

Charge Separation Part 1: Diode

Lecture 5 – 9/22/2011 MIT Fundamentals of Photovoltaics 2.626/2.627 – Fall 2011

  • Prof. Tonio Buonassisi

1

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SLIDE 2

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

2.626/2.627 Roadmap

You Are Here

2

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SLIDE 3

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

2.626/2.627: Fundamentals

Charge Excitation Charge Drift/Diff usion Charge Separation Light Absorption Charge Collection

Outputs

Solar Spectrum

Inputs

Conversion Efficiency 

   Output Energy

Input Energy

Every photovoltaic device must obey: For most solar cells, this breaks down into:

฀ total absorptionexcitation drift/diffusion separation collection

3

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SLIDE 4

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

฀ total absorptionexcitation drift/diffusion separation collection

  • S. Glunz, Advances in

Optoelectronics 97370 (2007)

Image by S. W. Glunz. License: CC-BY. Source: "High-Efficiency Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells." Advances in OptoElectronics (2007).

4

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SLIDE 5

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Diode: Essence of Charge Separation

N P I N P I

  • What is a diode?
  • How is it made?
  • Why care about diodes?

5

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SLIDE 6

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Diode: Essence of Charge Separation

http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/thermionic- valves/vacuum-tube-theory/tube-tutorial-basics.php

Courtesy of Adrio Communications Ltd. Used with permission.

6

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SLIDE 7

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

1. Describe how conductivity of a semiconductor can be modified by the intentional introduction of dopants. 2. Draw pictorially, with fixed and mobile charges, how built- in field of pn-junction is formed. 3. Current flow in a pn-junction: Describe the nature of drift, diffusion, and illumination currents in a diode. Show their direction and magnitude in the dark and under illumination. 4. Voltage across a pn-junction: Quantify the built-in voltage across a pn-junction. Quantify how the voltage across a pn- junction changes when an external bias voltage is applied. 5. Draw current-voltage (I-V) response, recognizing that minority carrier flux regulates current.

Learning Objectives: Diode

7

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SLIDE 8

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/

Dopant Atoms

Periodic Table

8

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 9

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Carrier Binding Energy to Shallow Dopant Atoms

E  EH m* me 1 2  13.6 eV

  m*

me 1 2

Carrier binding energy to a shallow (hydrogenic) dopant atom:

9

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 10

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Carrier Binding Energy to Shallow Dopant Atoms

E  EH m* me 1 2  13.6 eV

  m*

me 1 2

Carrier binding energy to a shallow (hydrogenic) dopant atom:

Effective mass correction Electron screening

10

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 11

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

1. Describe how conductivity of a semiconductor can be modified by the intentional introduction of dopants. 2. Draw pictorially, with fixed and mobile charges, how built-in field of pn-junction is formed. 3. Current flow in a pn-junction: Describe the nature of drift, diffusion, and illumination currents in a diode. Show their direction and magnitude in the dark and under illumination. 4. Voltage across a pn-junction: Quantify the built-in voltage across a pn-junction. Quantify how the voltage across a pn- junction changes when an external bias voltage is applied. 5. Draw current-voltage (I-V) response, recognizing that minority carrier flux regulates current.

Learning Objectives: Diode

11

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SLIDE 12

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Gauss’ Law: Review

d dx   

 = electric field  = charge density  = material permittivity

Spatially variant fixed charge creates an electric field: Example: Capacitor

    

Capacitor

Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.

12

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SLIDE 13

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Gauss’ Law: Review

d dx   

 = electric field  = charge density  = material permittivity

Spatially variant fixed charge creates an electric field: Drift Current: Net charge moves parallel to electric field

From: PVCDROM

฀ Jh  qhp

Described by Drift Equation

฀ Je  qen

13

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 14

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

From PVCDROM Described by Fick’s Law

฀ Jh  qDh dp dx ฀ Je  qDe dn dx

Diffusion: Review

14

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 15

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Si Si Si Si Si Si

Si

Si Si Si

Si

Si Si Si Si Si

+

  • Si

Si Si Si Si Si

Si

Si Si Si

Si

Si Si Si Si Si

Recall the Checker Board Example

15

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SLIDE 16

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Let’s imagine the n- and p-type materials in contact, but with an imaginary barrier in between them.

16

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SLIDE 17

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

How a pn-junction comes into being

17

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 18

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

When that imaginary boundary is removed, electrons and holes diffuse into the other side.

18

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SLIDE 19

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Eventually, the accumulation of like charges [(h+ + P+) or (e- + B-)] balances

  • ut the diffusion, and steady state condition is reached.

How a pn-junction comes into being

19

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

The net charge can be approximated as shown above.

How a pn-junction comes into being

Net Charge Position

Dashed line = Real charge distribution Solid line = Approximate charge distr.

20

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 21

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

How a pn-junction comes into being

Net Charge

Position

Electric Field

Position

฀ d dx    qNA qND

Potential

Position

฀ d dx   o VA

e- Energy

Position

฀ E  q q o VA

 

21

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 22

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

e- Energy

Position

฀ E  q q o VA

  Summary of Current Understanding

  • 1. When light creates an electron-hole pair, a pn-

junction can separate the positive and negative charges because of the built-in electric field.

  • 2. This built-in electric field is established at a pn-

junction because of the balance of electron & hole drift and diffusion currents.

22

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 23

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

In-Class Exercise

23

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SLIDE 24

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011)

24

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SLIDE 25

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011)

Tasks:

  • 1. Draw band diagram (electron energy as a

function of position).

  • 2. Draw relative magnitudes of electron drift

and diffusion currents.

25

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SLIDE 26

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011)

26

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SLIDE 27

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

h+ diffusion: h+ drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011)

27

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SLIDE 28

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011)

Tasks:

  • 1. Represent a voltage bias source (e.g., battery)
  • n the model circuit diagram. Ensure that

positive and negative terminals of the battery are pointing in the correct directions.

28

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SLIDE 29

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • 29
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SLIDE 30

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • Tasks:
  • 1. Draw energy band diagrams, under forward

and reverse bias (in the dark).

  • 2. Draw relative magnitudes of electron drift

and diffusion currents.

30

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SLIDE 31

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • 31
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SLIDE 32

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • 32
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SLIDE 33

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

1. Describe how conductivity of a semiconductor can be modified by the intentional introduction of dopants. 2. Draw pictorially, with fixed and mobile charges, how built- in field of pn-junction is formed. 3. Current flow in a pn-junction: Describe the nature of drift, diffusion, and illumination currents in a diode. Show their direction and magnitude in the dark and under illumination. 4. Voltage across a pn-junction: Quantify the built-in voltage across a pn-junction. Quantify how the voltage across a pn- junction changes when an external bias voltage is applied. 5. Draw current-voltage (I-V) response, recognizing that minority carrier flux regulates current.

Learning Objectives: Diode

33

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SLIDE 34

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Carrier Motion

Under equilibrium conditions in a homogeneous material: Individual carriers constantly experience Brownian motion, but the net charge flow is zero. To achieve net charge flow (current), carriers must move via diffusion or drift.

34

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SLIDE 35

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Diffusion

From PVCDROM Described by Fick’s Law

฀ Jh  qDh dp dx ฀ Je  qDe dn dx

35

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 36

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Drift Current

From PVCDROM

฀ Jh  qhp

Described by Drift Equation

฀ Je  qen

36

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 37

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Dominates when  is large

Current Density Equations

De  kT q       n Dh  kT q       p

Einstein Relationships: Relation between drift and diffusion: Dominates when  is small

฀ Jh  qh p qDh dp dx ฀ Je  qnn qDe dn dx

37

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Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

What’s ?

d dx   

 = charge density  = material permittivity

From differential form of Gauss’ Law (a.k.a. Poisson’s Equation): We know the charge density is:

  q p  n  ND

  NA 

 

ND

+ = ionized donor concentration

NA

  • = ionized acceptor concentration

  q p  n  ND  NA

 

Assuming all dopants are ionized at room temperature

In summa:

฀ d dx  q  p  n  ND  NA

 

38

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SLIDE 39

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

What’s ?

Net Charge

Position

Electric Field

Position

฀ d dx    qNA qND

Potential

Position

฀ d dx   o VA

e- Energy

Position

฀ E  q q o VA

 

39

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 40

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Continuity Equations

Je(x) Je(x+dx) dx

฀ rate entering - rate exiting  A q Je(x)  Je x dx

 

 

 

฀ rate of generation - rate of recombination  Adx G U

 

฀ 1 q dJe dx U G  A q dJe dx dx

Continuity For electrons:

฀ 1 q dJh dx   U G

 

For holes:

40

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SLIDE 41

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

System of Equations Describing Transport in Semiconductors

฀ 1 q dJe dx U G ฀ 1 q dJh dx   U G

 

฀ d dx  q  p  n  ND  NA

 

฀ Jh  qh p qDh dp dx ฀ Je  qnn qDe dn dx

Drift and Diffusion Electric Field Continuity Equations

41

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SLIDE 42

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Possible to Solve Analytically?

No! Coupled set of non-linear differential equations. …or make series of approximations to solve analytically. Must solve numerically (e.g., using computer simulations)…

42

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Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

1. Describe how conductivity of a semiconductor can be modified by the intentional introduction of dopants. 2. Draw pictorially, with fixed and mobile charges, how built- in field of pn-junction is formed. 3. Current flow in a pn-junction: Describe the nature of drift and diffusion currents in a diode in the dark. Show their direction and magnitude under neutral, forward, and reverse bias conditions. 4. Voltage across a pn-junction: Quantify the built-in voltage across a pn-junction. Quantify how the voltage across a pn-junction changes when an external bias voltage is applied. 5. Draw current-voltage (I-V) response, recognizing that minority carrier flux regulates current.

Learning Objectives: Diode

43

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SLIDE 44

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x)

http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/

New Concept: Chemical Potential

44

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

slide-45
SLIDE 45

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x)

Covalently- bonded electrons

At absolute zero, no conductivity (perfect insulator).

New Concept: Chemical Potential

45

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

slide-46
SLIDE 46

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x) At T > 0 K, some carriers are thermally excited across the bandgap.

New Concept: Chemical Potential

46

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

slide-47
SLIDE 47

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x) At T > 0 K, some carriers are thermally excited across the bandgap.

Thermally excited electrons

New Concept: Chemical Potential

47

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

slide-48
SLIDE 48

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x) At T > 0 K, some carriers are thermally excited across the bandgap.

“Intrinsic” Carriers (ni)

New Concept: Chemical Potential

48

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

slide-49
SLIDE 49

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Band Diagram (E vs. x) At T > 0 K, some carriers are thermally excited across the bandgap.

New Concept: Chemical Potential

  • The chemical potential

describes the average energy necessary to add or remove an infinitesimally small quantity of electrons to the system.

  • In a semiconductor, the

chemical potential is referred to as the “Fermi level.”

Fermi Level

49

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 50

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Fermi Level Fermi Level

  EF  Ei  kbTln ND ni         EF  Ei  kbTln NA ni      

We assume: All dopants are ionized!

p-type n-type

50

Courtesy of PVCDROM. Used with permission.

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SLIDE 51

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Distance, x Energy, eV Transition region p-type n-type Fermi Level, EF

Voltage Across a pn-Junction

51

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SLIDE 52

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Distance, x Energy, eV Fermi Level, EF EF - EV EC - EF qo

qo  Eg  EF  EV

  EC  EF  

Built-in pn-junction potential a function of dopant concentrations.

฀  kT q ln NAND ni

2

     

p-type n-type

Voltage Across a pn-Junction

52

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SLIDE 53

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Derivation

฀ qo  Eg  EF  EV

  EC  EF  

 Eg  kTln NV NA       kTln NC ND        Eg  kTln NCNV NAND       ฀ o  kT q ln NAND ni

2

     

Built-in pn-junction potential a function of dopant concentrations.

53

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SLIDE 54

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Distance, x Energy, eV Fermi Level, EF EF - EV EC - EF qo

qo  Eg  EF  EV

  EC  EF  

Built-in pn-junction potential a function of dopant concentrations.

฀  kT q ln NAND ni

2

     

p-type n-type

Voltage Across a pn-Junction

54

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SLIDE 55

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Voltage Across a Biased pn-Junction

Distance, x Energy, eV Fermi Level, EF EF - EV EC - EF q(o-VA) p-type n-type

฀ q o VA

  kbTln NAND

ni

2

     VA

VA

55

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SLIDE 56

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Distance, x Energy, eV Fermi Level, EF EF - EV EC - EF qo p-type n-type

Effect of Bias on Width of Space-Charge Region

Transition region

฀ qo  kT q ln NAND ni

2

     

56

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SLIDE 57

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Effect of Bias on Width of Space-Charge Region

Distance, x Energy, eV Fermi Level, EF EF - EV EC - EF q(o-VA) p-type n-type

฀ q o VA

  kbTln NAND

ni

2

     VA

VA Transition region

57

slide-58
SLIDE 58

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • +

+

  • +

+ +

  • +

+

58

slide-59
SLIDE 59

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

1. Describe how conductivity of a semiconductor can be modified by the intentional introduction of dopants. 2. Draw pictorially, with fixed and mobile charges, how built- in field of pn-junction is formed. 3. Current flow in a pn-junction: Describe the nature of drift and diffusion currents in a diode in the dark. Show their direction and magnitude under neutral, forward, and reverse bias conditions. 4. Voltage across a pn-junction: Quantify the built-in voltage across a pn-junction. Quantify how the voltage across a pn- junction changes when an external bias voltage is applied. 5. Draw current-voltage (I-V) response, recognizing that minority carrier flux regulates current.

Learning Objectives: Diode

59

slide-60
SLIDE 60

Buonassisi (MIT) 2011

Carrier Concentrations Across a pn-Junction

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

Approximation 1: Device can be split into two types of region: quasi- neutral regions (space-charge density is assumed zero) and the depletion region (where carrier concentrations are small, and ionized dopants contribute to fixed charge).

p-type n-type

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Width of space charge region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

฀ W  ln  lp  2 q o Va

 

1 NA  1 ND      

p-type n-type

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Width of space charge region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

฀ W  ln  lp  2 q o Va

 

1 NA  1 ND      

Width of the space-charge region NB: Actually  * o, where o, the vacuum permittivity, is 8.85x10-12 F/m or 5.53x107 e/(V*m)

p-type n-type

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Capacitance

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

฀ C  A W

Device capacitance pn-junction area

p-type n-type

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Capacitance

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

฀ C A  qN 2 o Va

 

When one side of the pn-junction is heavily doped, the capacitance reduces to this expression

p-type n-type

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Pn-junction under zero bias

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA n = np0 ≈ ni

2/NA

n = nn0 ≈ ND p = pn0 ≈ ni

2/ND

p-type n-type

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Pn-junction under forward bias

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb a b p-type n-type

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Pn-junction under forward bias

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb

pnb  pn0  pp0  exp qo kT       ni

2

ND ฀ npa  np0  nn0  exp qo kT       ni

2

NA

At zero bias:

a b p-type n-type

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Current flow through the depletion region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb

฀ Jh  qh p qDh dp dx

For holes:

Drift current Diffusion current

a b p-type n-type

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Current flow through the depletion region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb

฀   kT q 1 p dp dx

For holes:

Approximation 2: Assume Jh is small!

a b p-type n-type

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Current flow through the depletion region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb

฀ o Va   kT q ln(p) a

b

Integrating…

฀  kT q ln ppa pnb      

a b p-type n-type

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Current flow through the depletion region

Ln (n), Ln (p) Distance, x Transition region p = pp0 ≈ NA np0 n = nn0 ≈ ND pn0 npa pnb

ppa  NA  npa

Approximation 3: Only cases where minority carriers have a much lower concentration than majority carriers will be considered, i.e., ppa >> npa, nna >> pna

a b p-type n-type

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Current densities

Jh  qDh dp dx ... from previous slide ... Jh(x)  qDh pn0 Lh eqV / kT 1

 

ex /L h Je(x')  qDenn0 Le eqV /kT 1

 

ex /L e

Je Jh x’ x b a J

Calculate (diffusive) currents in quasi-neutral region:

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Current densities

dJe  dJh  q U G

 dx

W

 0

Magnitude of the change in current across the depletion region: Key assumption: W is small compared to Le and Lh. Therefore, integral is

  • negligible. It follows that the current Je and Jh are essentially constant

across the depletion region, as shown below.

Jtotal Jh Je Je Jh x’ x b a J

1 q dJe dx U G  1 q dJh dx

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Ideal Diode Equation

฀ I  Io eqV /kT 1

 

, where Io  A qDeni

2

LeNA  qDhni

2

LhND       ฀ Jtotal  Je x' 0  Jh x 0  qDenp0 Le  qDh pn0 Lh      eqV /kT 1

 

This leads to the ideal diode law:

Since Je and Jh are known at all points in the depletion region, we can calculate the total current:

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Key Point

  • The IV response of a pn-junction is

determined by changes in minority carrier current at the edge of the space-charge region.

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Readings are strongly encouraged

  • Green, Chapter 4
  • http://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/,

Chapters 3 & 4.

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No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • +

+

  • +

+ +

  • +

+

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No Bias Forward Bias Reverse Bias Band Diagram I-V Curve Model Circuit

pn-junction, under dark conditions

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

E

e- diffusion: e- drift:

x

p-type n-type

I V I V I V N P

+ + +

  • N

P N P

2.626/2.627 Lecture 5 (9/22/2011) +

  • +
  • +

+

  • +

+ +

  • +

+

X X X

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Hands-On: Measure Solar Cell IV Curves

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MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu

2.627 / 2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics

Fall 2013 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.