Depletion Region - Formation of Depletion Region in A P-N Junction

Formation of Depletion Region in A P-N Junction

A depletion region forms instantaneously across a P-N junction. It is most easily described when the junction is in thermal equilibrium or in a steady state: in both of these cases the properties of the system do not vary in time; they have been called dynamic equilibrium.,

Electrons and holes diffuse into regions with lower concentrations of electrons and holes, much as ink diffuses into water until it is uniformly distributed. By definition, N-type semiconductor has an excess of free electrons compared to the P-type region, and P-type has an excess of holes compared to the N-type region. Therefore when N-doped and P-doped pieces of semiconductor are placed together to form a junction, electrons migrate into the P-side and holes migrate into the N-side. Departure of an electron from the N-side to the P-side leaves a positive donor ion behind on the N-side, and likewise the hole leaves a negative acceptor ion on the P-side.

Following transfer, the diffused electrons come into contact with holes on the P-side and are eliminated by recombination. Likewise for the diffused holes on the N-side. The net result is the diffused electrons and holes are gone, leaving behind the charged ions adjacent to the interface in a region with no mobile carriers (called the depletion region). The uncompensated ions are positive on the N side and negative on the P side. This creates an electric field that provides a force opposing the continued exchange of charge carriers. When the electric field is sufficient to arrest further transfer of holes and electrons, the depletion region has reached its equilibrium dimensions. Integrating the electric field across the depletion region determines what is called the built-in voltage (also called the junction voltage or barrier voltage or contact potential).

Mathematically speaking, charge transfer in semiconductor devices is due both to conduction driven by the electric field (drift) and by diffusion. For a P-type region, where holes conduct with electrical conductivity σ and diffuse with diffusion constant D, the net current density is given by

j = σ E - D ∇qp

with q the elementary charge (1.6×10−19 coulomb) and p the hole density (number per unit volume). Conduction forces the holes along the direction of the electric field. Diffusion moves the carriers in the direction of decreasing concentration, so for holes a negative current results for a positive density gradient. (If the carriers are electrons, we replace the hole density p by the negative of the electron density n; in some cases, both electrons and holes must be included.) When the two current components balance, as in the pn-junction depletion region at dynamic equilibrium, the current is zero due to the Einstein relation, which relates D to σ.

(1) Under reverse bias (P negative with respect to N), the potential drop (i.e., voltage) across the depletion region increases. This widens the depletion region, which increases the drift component of current and decreases the diffusion component. In this case the net current is leftward in the figure of the pn junction. The carrier density then is small and only a very small reverse saturation current flows.

(2) Forward bias (P positive with respect to N) narrows the depletion region and lowers the barrier to carrier injection. The diffusion component of the current greatly increases and the drift component decreases. In this case the net current is rightward in the figure of the pn junction. The carrier density is large (it varies exponentially with the applied bias voltage), making the junction conductive and allowing a large forward current. The mathematical description of the current is provided by the Shockley diode equation. The low current conducted under reverse bias and the large current under forward bias is an example of rectification.