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Derive the expression for electron concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor

Question

Derive the expression for electron concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor

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Solution

In an intrinsic semiconductor, the number of free electrons (n) is equal to the number of holes (p). This is because the semiconductor is pure and has not been doped with any impurities. The electron concentration is given by the product of the intrinsic carrier concentration (ni) and the probability that an energy state in the conduction band is occupied by an electron (f(E)).

Step 1: Define the intrinsic carrier concentration (ni) The intrinsic carrier concentration is the number of electron-hole pairs generated per unit volume when the semiconductor is in thermal equilibrium. It is given by the formula:

ni = sqrt(Nc * Nv) * exp(-Eg / 2kT)

where: Nc = effective density of states in the conduction band Nv = effective density of states in the valence band Eg = energy gap k = Boltzmann's constant T = absolute temperature

Step 2: Define the probability (f(E)) that an energy state in the conduction band is occupied by an electron The probability is given by the Fermi-Dirac distribution function:

f(E) = 1 / (1 + exp((E - Ef) / kT))

where: E = energy of the state Ef = Fermi level

Step 3: Calculate the electron concentration (n) The electron concentration is given by the product of the intrinsic carrier concentration and the probability that an energy state in the conduction band is occupied by an electron:

n = ni * f(E)

This is the expression for the electron concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor.

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