Basic Electronics
TUTORIAL 1
Topics covered: Semiconductor materials and properties ; pn junction
1. (a) The intrinsic carrier concentration in silicon is to be no larger than ni
= 1012 cm−3. Determine the maximum allowable temperature.
(b) Repeat part (a) for ni = 109 cm−3.
[Ans: (a) 𝑇 ≈ 368 𝐾 (b) 𝑇 ≈ 268 𝐾]
2. (a) Calculate the concentration of electrons and holes in silicon that has
a concentration of acceptor atoms equal to 5 × 1016 cm−3. Is the
semiconductor n-type or p-type? (b) Repeat part (a) for GaAs. [ni =
1.5×1010 cm-3 (Si) and ni = 1.8×106 cm-3 (GaAs)]
[Ans: (a) 4.5 ×103 cm-3 (b) 6.48 ×10-5 cm-3]
3. The electron concentration in silicon at T = 300K is n0 = 5 × 1015 cm−3.
(a) Determine the hole concentration. (b) Is the material n-type or p-
type? (c) What is the impurity doping concentration?
[Ans: (a) 4.5 ×104 cm-3 (b) n-type (c) 5 ×1015 cm-3]
4. In GaAs, the mobilities are μn = 8500 cm2/V–s and μp = 400 cm2/V–s.
(a) Determine the range in conductivity for a range in donor
concentration of 1015 ≤ Nd ≤ 1019 cm−3. (b) Using the results of part (a),
determine the range in drift current density if the applied electric field is
E = 0.10 V/cm.
[Ans: (a) 1.36 ≤ σ ≤ 1.36 ×104 (Ω-cm)-1 (b) 0.136 ≤ J ≤ 1.36 ×103
A/cm2]
1
5. The hole concentration in silicon is given by
p(x) = 104 + 1015 exp(−x / Lp); x ≥ 0
The value of Lp is 10μm. The hole diffusion coefficient is Dp = 15
cm2/s. Determine the hole diffusion current density at (a) x = 0, (b) x =
10μm, and (c) x = 30μm.
[Ans: (a) 2.4 A/cm2 (b) 0.883 A/cm2 (c) 0.119 A/cm2]
6. Consider a silicon pn junction. The n-region is doped to a value of Nd
=1016 cm−3. The built-in potential barrier is to be Vbi = 0.712 V.
Determine the required p-type doping concentration.
[Ans: 1.76×1016 cm−3]
7. Consider a uniformly doped GaAs pn junction with doping
concentrations of Na = 5×1018cm−3 and Nd = 5×1016cm−3. Plot the
built-in potential barrier Vbi versus temperature for 200K ≤ T ≤ 500K.
Ans:
T Vbi
200 1.405
300 1.370
400 1.327
500 1.277
8. The zero-bias capacitance of a silicon pn junction diode is Cjo = 0.02pF
and the built-in potential is Vbi = 0.80V. The diode is reverse biased
through a 47-k resistor and a voltage source. (a) For t < 0, the applied
voltage is 5 V and, at t = 0, the applied voltage drops to zero volts.
Estimate the time it takes for the diode voltage to change from 5 V to
2
1.5 V. (As an approximation, use the average diode capacitance
between the two voltage levels.) (b) Repeat part (a) for an input voltage
change from 0 V to 5 V and a diode voltage change from 0 V to 3.5 V.
(Use the average diode capacitance between these two voltage levels.)
[Ans: (a) 5.44×10-10 s (b) 8.09×10-10 s]
9. (a) At what reverse-bias voltage does the reverse-bias current in a
silicon pn junction diode reach 90 percent of its saturation value? (b)
What is the ratio of the current for a forward-bias voltage of 0.2 V to
the current for a reverse bias voltage of 0.2 V?
[Ans: (a) -0.0599 V (b) 2190]
10. The reverse-bias saturation current for a set of diodes varies between 5
×10−14 ≤ IS ≤ 5×10−12A. The diodes are all to be biased at ID = 2mA.
What is the range of forward-bias voltages that must be applied?
[Ans: 0.5150 ≤ VD ≤ 0.6347 V]
11. (a) A germanium pn junction has a diode current of I D = 1.5mA when
biased at VD = 0.30V. What is the reverse-bias saturation current? (b)
Using the results of part (a), determine the diode current when the diode
is biased at (i) VD = 0.35 V and (ii) VD = 0.25 V.
[Ans: (a) 1.46×10−8 A (b) (i) 10.3 mA (ii) 0.219 mA]
12. A silicon pn junction diode has an applied forward-bias voltage of 0.6
V. Determine the ratio of current at 100◦C to that at −55◦C.
[Ans: 2.83×103]
