Debye Length in Semiconductors
The Debye length has become increasingly significant in the modeling of solid state devices as improvements in lithographic technologies have enabled smaller geometries.
The Debye length of semiconductors is given:
where
- εSi is the dielectric constant,
- kB is the Boltzmann's constant,
- T is the absolute temperature in kelvins,
- q is the elementary charge, and
- Nd is the density of dopants (either donors or acceptors).
When doping profiles exceed the Debye length, majority carriers no longer behave according to the distribution of the dopants. Instead, a measure of the profile of the doping gradients provides an “effective” profile that better matches the profile of the majority carrier density.
In the context of solids, the Debye length is also called the Thomas–Fermi screening length.
Read more about this topic: Debye Length
Famous quotes containing the word length:
“At length he would call to let us know where he was waiting for us with his canoe, when, on account of the windings of the stream, we did not know where the shore was, but he did not call often enough, forgetting that we were not Indians.... This was not because he was unaccommodating, but a proof of superior manners. Indians like to get along with the least possible communication and ado. He was really paying us a great compliment all the while, thinking that we preferred a hint to a kick.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)