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Notes 22 April 2013Semiconductor Quantum Wells (QWs)

• A narrow gap semiconductor is sandwiched between layers of a wide band gap semiconductor

• Quantum confinement takes place when the well thickness is comparable to De Broglie wavelength of the particle

• Electron movement is confined in the quantum well growth direction

• Examples: GaAs/AlAs, InGaAs/AlInAs.

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Application of QWs — Diode Laser

Disadvantages:

• Emission wavelength depends on material

• Very difficult to generate more than one color per laser

• Difficult to generate long wavelength, i.e., colors in the mid- to far- infrared region

n-AlGaAs

GaAs

p-AlGaAs

Electrode

+V

Conduction band

Valence bandBand gap

ElectrodeLight Light

• Operation involves both electrons and holes, so is called “bipolar”

• Junction E-B is forward biased, so electrons from the E (emitter) to the B (base)

• Junction B-C is reverse biased, so minority carrier electron concentration in B region at the B-C edge is close to zero.

• In the B region, there is large gradient of electron (minority carrier) concentration; the electron injected from E region will diffuse across the B region into the B-C space charge region

• An electric field due to the B-C reverse bias will sweep the electrons to the C (collector) region

• The B regions must be thinner than the minority carrier diffusion length in order to make as many electrons as possible to reach the C region.

Operation modes of BJT

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Mode BE junction BC junction Currents

Active Forward Reverse ic = βiB

Cutoff Reverse Reverse iE= iB= iC=0

Saturation Forward Forward ic < βiB

Reverse active Reverse Forward ic = βRiB

Analysis:

Active mode: most useful bias mode when using a bipolar junction transistor as an amplifier

Cutoff mode: no electron injected to the base, all currents are zero. Used as “off” state in digital circuits or open switch

Saturation mode: used as “on” state in digital circuits or closed switch

Reverse active mode: emitter and collector regions switch roles. Seldom used.