Model of a Single Impurity in a Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Describing Electric Field Screening

Author

Anthony N. Dills

Date of Award

12-1-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

T. E. Luke, PhD

Abstract

A mathematical model of the influence on electric field screening arising from a single impurity in a wide bandgap semiconductor has been numerically investigated and compared with analytically derived solutions. The parameter set chosen to perform the comparison of analytical solution and numerical solution is based upon a bismuth silicate crystal. Both the analytical calculations and the numerical calculations are an attempt to mathematically model the internal electric field within a semiconductor. Two types of impurities were looked at: a single donor level and a single trap impurity level. In general, after an abrupt application of a voltage across the semiconductor, net charge regions begin to redistribute and create internal electric fields that screen the applied field. A trap impurity is found to be more self-consistent with the analytical solutions than a donor impurity; the former satisfying the assumption of a constant free electron lifetime. The analytical solutions are valid for observation times much less than the Maxwellian relaxation time τ_M:t ≪ τ_M;. The analytical solution properly predicts stratification conditions when the observation time is prior to τ_M; however, oscillatory behavior, characteristic of stratification, of the internal electric field occurs for times much greater than τ_M. During this regime the analytical solutions are invalid.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GAP-ENP-94D-3

DTIC Accession Number

ADA289322

Recommended Citation

Dills, Anthony N., "Model of a Single Impurity in a Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Describing Electric Field Screening" (1994). Theses and Dissertations. 6361.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/6361