Characterization of Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlxGa1 – xAs) Semiconductors Using MATLAB

A semiconductor is a material that has electrical properties somewhere in the middle, between those of an insulator and a conductor. It is neither a good insulator nor a good conductor (called a semiconductor). It has very few free electrons because its atoms are closely grouped together in a crystalline pattern called a crystal lattice, however, electrons are still able to flow, but only under special conditions. One of the principal characteristics of semiconductors is that they can be doped with impurities to alter their electrical properties. The semiconductor properties are characterized by the band theory. This model states that an electron in a solid can only take on energy values within certain ranges called permitted bands, which are separated by other bands called band gaps. These materials are mainly used in electronics (diodes, transistors, etc.), microelectronics for integrated circuits, solar cells and optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). III-V semiconductors are of great interest because of their properties, they are robust, have a high thermal conductivity and a direct band gap. Devices and circuits in the III-V semiconductor group were always known by their high speed, but also by their expensive production and lower integration compared to silicon-based ones. In this paper, models for the effective density of states (Nc and Nv) in the conduction and valence bands, intrinsic carrier density ni, temperature dependence of the energy band gap (Eg) and doping dependence of the energy band gap (Eg) of aluminum gallium arsenide (AlxGa1 – xAs) semiconductors are analyzed using MATLAB for different values of x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1).