Accurate measurements of the silicon intrinsic carrier density from 78 to 340 K

Abstract

The intrinsic carrier density in silicon has been measured by a novel technique based on low-frequency capacitance measurements of a p+-i-n+ diode biased in high injection. The major advantage of the method is its insensitivity to uncertainties regarding the exact values of the carrier mobilities, the recombination parameters, and the doping density. The intrinsic carrier density was measured in the temperature range from 78 to 340 K. At 300 K the value of ni was found to be (9.7±0.1)×109 cm−3.