Drift-diffusion model (mathematical model describing the semi-classical transport of free electrons and holes in a self-consistent electric field)

Community: MathModDB

mathematical model

Available identifiers

MaRDI QIDQ6675396 FDOQ6675396

Also known as van Roosbroeck model

Description

The drift-diffusion system describes the semi-classical transport of free electrons and holes in a self-consistent electric field using a drift-diffusion approximation. It became the standard model to describe the current flow in semiconductor devices such as diodes, transistors, LEDs, solar cells and lasers, as well as quantum nanostructures and organic semiconductors.Private communication by Thomas Koprucki (Nov. 2025): Drift-diffusion models are closely related to reaction-diffusion models, Poisson-Nernst-Planck-models, semiconductor equation. And they are also used for the transport of ions in biological cells, see work by Christine Keller (WIAS) et al.: https://doi.org/10.3390/e27090981

Contained entities

Boltzmann approximation for electrons	$n (ψ, ϕ_{n}) = N_{c} \exp (\frac{q (ψ - ϕ_{n}) - E_{c}}{k_{B} T})$	4
	$q$ represents elementary charge
	$E_{c}$ represents band edge energy for conduction band
	$N_{c}$ represents density of states for conduction band
	$T$ represents temperature
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$k_{B}$ represents Boltzmann constant
	$n$ represents electron density

Boltzmann approximation for holes	$p (ψ, ϕ_{p}) = N_{v} \exp (\frac{q (ϕ_{p} - ψ) + E_{v}}{k_{B} T})$	5
	$q$ represents elementary charge
	$E_{v}$ represents band edge energy for valence band
	$N_{v}$ represents density of states for valence band
	$T$ represents temperature
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$k_{B}$ represents Boltzmann constant
	$p$ represents hole density

Dirichlet boundary condition for electric potential	$ϕ (r, t) \|_{Γ_{k}} = ψ_{0} + U_{k} (t)$	boundary condition
	$U_{k}$ represents applied external voltage
	$Γ_{k}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ$ represents electric potential
	$t$ represents time

Dirichlet boundary condition for electron Fermi potential	$ϕ_{n} \|_{Γ_{k}} = U_{k}$	boundary condition
	$U_{k}$ represents applied external voltage
	$Γ_{k}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons

Dirichlet boundary condition for hole Fermi potential	$ϕ_{n} \|_{Γ_{k}} = U_{k}$	boundary condition
	$U_{k}$ represents applied external voltage
	$Γ_{k}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes

Neumann boundary condition for electric potential	${n \cdot \nabla ϕ (r, t) \|}_{Γ_{N}} = 0$	boundary condition
	$Γ_{N}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ$ represents electric potential
	$t$ represents time
	$n$ represents unit normal vector

Neumann boundary condition for electron Fermi potential	$n \cdot \nabla ψ \|_{Γ_{N}} = 0$	boundary condition
	$Γ_{N}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$n$ represents unit normal vector

Neumann boundary condition for hole Fermi potential	$n \cdot \nabla ϕ_{p} \|_{Γ_{N}} = 0$	boundary condition
	$Γ_{N}$ represents electrode interfaces
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$n$ represents unit normal vector

Poisson's equation for the electric potential (semiconductors)	$- \nabla \cdot (ϵ_{s} \nabla ψ) = q (C + p (ψ, ϕ_{p}) - n (ψ, ϕ_{n}))$	1
	$C$ represents doping profile
	$ϵ_{s}$ represents permittivity
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$n$ represents electron density
	$p$ represents hole density
	$q$ represents elementary charge

continuity equation for electrons	$\nabla \cdot j_{n} = q R (ψ, ϕ_{n}, ϕ_{p})$	2
	$R$ represents recombination rate for electron hole pairs
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$j_{n}$ represents electric current density of electrons
	$q$ represents elementary charge

continuity equation for holes	$\nabla \cdot j_{p} = - q R (ψ, ϕ_{n}, ϕ_{p})$	3
	$R$ represents recombination rate for electron hole pairs
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$j_{p}$ represents electric current density of holes
	$q$ represents elementary charge

current density equation for electrons	$j_{n} = - q μ_{n} n (ψ, ϕ_{n}) \nabla ϕ_{n}$	6
	$ϕ_{n}$ represents Fermi potential for electrons
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$n$ represents electron density
	$q$ represents elementary charge
	$μ_{n}$ represents mobility of electrons
	$j_{n}$ represents electric current density of electrons

current density equation for holes	$j_{p} = - q μ_{p} p (ψ, ϕ_{p}) \nabla ϕ_{p}$	7
	$ϕ_{p}$ represents Fermi potential for holes
	$ψ$ represents electric potential
	$p$ represents hole density
	$q$ represents elementary charge
	$μ_{p}$ represents mobility of holes
	$j_{p}$ represents electric current density of holes

Computational tasks

semiconductor charge neutrality, semiconductor thermal equilibrium, semiconductor current voltage

Described at

Numerical methods for drift-diffusion models	(review)

Discretizations

Scharfetter-Gummel scheme

Further linked items

Item	Property
charge transport in semiconductor devices	modelled by

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