BOUNDARY-CONDITIONS AT P-N-JUNCTIONS

In recent correspondence and in earlier papers it has been shown that the use of the quasi-neutrality condition together with the Boltzmann relations at the boundaries of a p-n junction, leads to inconsistancies between the externally applied voltage and the change in potential across the space-charge region. We shall show that such boundary conditions lead to a consistent set of boundary values, when the potentials entering the analysis are correctly interpreted. The difference between the externally applied voltage and the decrease in electrostatic potential across the space- charge region may be interpreted as a purely electrostatic phenomenon, associated with the additional majority carriers present in the space charge region to establish quasi-neutrality. © 1979.