This tool enables users to understand the basic concepts of the drift and diffusion of carriers inside a semiconductor slab using different kinds of experiments. Experiments like shining light on the semiconductor, applying bias, or both can be performed. This tool provides important information about carrier densities, transient and steady state currents, fermi-levels and electrostatic potentials.

• Typical simulation runtime : Less than a minute

• Improvements / modifications in subsequent version releases:
• 1.8.4 - Fixed the I-V output with light.  Padre dumps out dark and lit I-V data points in one file and the tool was plotting both.   When the bias& light experiments are run, now only the lit I-V data points are shown.  Also images for the experiments are increased and the experiment selection is now the first tab.
• 1.8.3 - Added Field dependent and Concentration dependent mobility.
• 1.8.2 - Fixed for overwriting of previous simulation runs.
• 1.8.1 - 'Net Recombination' plot changed to 'Net Thermal Recombination' plot. Photo-generation rate is not included in the calculation.
• 1.8 - Fixed potential plot for 'Bias only' case to show zero slope at equilibrium. Fixed recombination rate plot - It now reads 'Net Recombination' (+ve values mean net recombination & -ve values mean net generation in the bar).
• 1.7 - Meshing made robust to treat different examples.
• 1.6 - Added option for solution of Electrons and Holes simultaneously (Ambipolar), Electron only & Hole only contunuity equations. Fixed for improved meshing.
• 1.5 - Updated to include carrier mobility in the input deck. Fixed for Absorption length for light shine experiments. Corrected for carrier concentration near edges with No Surface recombination at both ends.
• 1.4 - Included status bar for running simulations.
• 1.32 - Changed penetration depth for light shine at the edge. Thin penetration is allowed now.
• 1.131 - Fixed for minor error in meshing. Accurate definition of mesh with light shine option.
• 1.13 - Fixed for error in Surface Recombination Velocity (cm/s) at the contacts and added another tab to for it. Recombination velocity can now be defined for electrons and holes and at both contacts separately.
• 1.11 - Added Surface Recombination Velocity (cm/s) in input deck .
• 1.1 - Updated for GUI. Carrier Generation Rate (/cm2/s) with light shine is user defined. Added Current density in output plot J(x)
• 1.0 - 1D linear Drift-Diffusion simulator launched.

PADRE (Pisces And Device REplacement) developed by Mark Pinto & Kent Smith at AT&T Bell Labs.

NCN@Purdue

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Saumitra Raj Mehrotra, Abhijeet Paul, Gerhard Klimeck, Gloria Wahyu Budiman (2021), "Drift-Diffusion Lab," https://nanohub.org/resources/semi. (DOI: 10.21981/G0QV-VD57).

  BibTex | EndNote

1. diffusion
2. drift
3. drift-diffusion
4. Drift-Diffusion Lab
5. excess carriers
6. nanoelectronics
7. NCN@Purdue Supported
8. Padre
9. transient