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The formula for evaluating the drift velocity of charge carriers in a material of constant cross-sectional area is given by: [1] =, where u is the drift velocity of electrons, j is the current density flowing through the material, n is the charge-carrier number density, and q is the charge on the charge-carrier.
When an electric field E is applied across a piece of material, the electrons respond by moving with an average velocity called the drift velocity, . Then the electron mobility μ is defined as =. Electron mobility is almost always specified in units of cm 2 /(V⋅s).
The drift velocity is the average velocity of the charge carriers in the drift current. The drift velocity, and resulting current, is characterized by the mobility; for details, see electron mobility (for solids) or electrical mobility (for a more general discussion). See drift–diffusion equation for the way that the drift current, diffusion ...
The drift velocity deals with the average velocity of a particle, such as an electron, due to an electric field. In general, an electron will propagate randomly in a conductor at the Fermi velocity. [5] Free electrons in a conductor follow a random path. Without the presence of an electric field, the electrons have no net velocity.
In other words, the electrical mobility of the particle is defined as the ratio of the drift velocity to the magnitude of the electric field: =. For example, the mobility of the sodium ion (Na +) in water at 25 °C is 5.19 × 10 −8 m 2 /(V·s). [1]
The drift velocity is = Because of the mass dependence, the gravitational drift for the electrons can normally be ignored. The dependence on the charge of the particle implies that the drift direction is opposite for ions as for electrons, resulting in a current.
The imaginary part indicates that the current lags behind the electrical field. This happens because the electrons need roughly a time τ to accelerate in response to a change in the electrical field. Here the Drude model is applied to electrons; it can be applied both to electrons and holes; i.e., positive charge carriers in semiconductors.
The drift current, by contrast, is due to the motion of charge carriers due to the force exerted on them by an electric field. Diffusion current can be in the same or opposite direction of a drift current. The diffusion current and drift current together are described by the drift–diffusion equation. [1]