Intrinsic Concentration and Heavy-Hole Mass in InSb

Abstract

The intrinsic carrier concentration of holes in InSb has been redetermined from the temperature variation of the Hall coefficient without the assumption of acoustic mode scattering. Seven samples were used, three p type and four n type. The best statistical fit to the data yielded ni=5.76×1014T3/2exp(−0.129/kBT)over the temperature range 150°≤T≤300°K. Error analysis indicates ni is accurate to within one percent. The heavy-hole band structure proposed by Kane was used to derive a theoretical expression for the heavy-hole density of states mass which was then estimated from the value of ni determined experimentally. At low temperatures the mass was found to be 0.430 m0 and to increase with increasing temperature. When the mass value reported here was compared to cyclotron resonance data, agreement was obtained.