2003/06/20 by S. O. Kasap, Safa Kasap, Kasap, S. O. +2
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Computational physics #Condensed matter physics #Current (fluid) #Diffusion #Diffusion current #Diode #Drift current #Experimental Learning in Engineering #FOS: Physical sciences #Field (mathematics) #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #Mathematics #Physics #Physics Education (physics.ed-ph) #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Surface and Thin Film Phenomena #Thermal conduction #Thermodynamics #physics.ed-ph #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0306153
To submit to American Journal of Physics, one figure and two tables
arxiv created 2003/06/20 · openalex publication_date 2003/06/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The majority of current textbooks on device physics at the undergraduate level derive the diode equation based on the diffusion of injected minority carriers. Generally the drift of the majority carriers, or the extent of drift, is not discussed and the importance of drift in the presence of a field in the neutral regions is almost totally ignored. The assumptions of zero field in the neutral regions and conduction by minority carrier diffusion lead to a number of pedagogical problems and paradoxes for the student. The purpose of this paper is to address the pedagogical problems and paradoxes apparent in the current treatment of conduction in the pn junction as it appears in the majority of texts.