Thermal Excitation in a Semiconductor

C. Kitching, Downing College. CRSid cdk23

Abstract The energy gap between the two electron energy states of silicon was found by measuring the change in electrical resistance of a thermistor at different temperatures within the intrinsic region of silicon, and the validity of the theoretical relationship between the electrical resistance and the absolute temperature of the silicon was veried. The silicon sample was in the form of a thermistor. The value for the energy gap was found to be 1.130 0.002eV, which is not consistent with the expected range of 1.0-1.1eV, as dened in the handbook[1].

Introduction

The purpose of this experiment is twofold. Firstly, to conrm that the relationship between the electrical resistance, R and absolute temperature, T of the thermistor at temperatures within its intrinsic region is: R = R0 e T Where T0 is a constant related to the energy gap, Eg , and Boltzmanns constant, kB , dened as: T0 =
1 Provided this relationship holds, the graph of ln( R) against T over the intrinsic region should be a straight line. If so, the second aim of the experiment will be to calculate Eg using the relationships mentioned above. Eg 2k B
T0

2 2.1

Discussion Conrming the theory

To determine if my results agree or disagree with the theory, it is necessary to rst plot the graph of all measured points (Graph 1), and determine if any section of it it is a straight line - as the straight line section of the graph, according to the theory, should represent the intrinsic region of the thermistor. Looking at the graph, I decided that points for temperatures less than 520K lay outside the intrinsic region of the thermistor as the graph curves quite obviously at lower temperatures. There was also one point in the data set for which the sum of the voltages across the thermistor and the xed resistor did not add up to the input voltage from the power supply - presumably this represents a measuring error. The graph produced by plotting the remaining points is shown (Graph 2). I think this graph represents the subset of my data points that lie in the intrinsic region. This second graph is a straight line, which leads me to believe that the results of this experiment agree with the theory.

2.2

Value for Eg

After performing linear regression analysis on the second graph, the value for the gradient of the line of best t was found to be (6.55 0.01) 103 K. This value corresponds to T0 in the formulae mentioned previously, and so can be used to calculate Eg . According to the handbook[1] the percentage error of the gradient will be equal to the percentage error of Eg .

2.3 2.4

Errors Possible improvements

A relatively small number of my measurements actually fell inside the intrinsic region of the thermistor. Now I have a rough idea of what temperature range represents the intrinsic region, the experiment could be repeated such that there are many more measurements taken in that temperature range. This would reduce the effects of random errors in the experiment.

2 Discussion

2.5
2.5.1

Graphs
Graph 1 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

ln( R)/k

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.76 1.78

1.8

1.82 1.84 1.86 1.88

1.9

1.92 1.94 1.96 1/T

1.98

2.02 2.04

2.06 2.08

2.1

2.12

103 K 1

2.5.2

Graph 2 0

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4

ln( R)/k

0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.77

1.78

1.79

1.8

1.81

1.82

1.83

1.84 1/T

1.85

1.86

1.87

1.88

1.89

1.9

1.91

1.92

103 K 1

3 Conclusion

Conclusion
1. The results I obtained do agree with the theory for the relationship between electrical resistance and absolute temperature, since graph 2 is a straight line. 2. I obtained a value of 1.1300.002 eV for the energy gap. This does not fall into the range of 10-1.1 eV, which the handbook states is the correct range.

References
[1] NST 1A Physics Practicals Class Manual, Michaelmas Term 2011 p21-22