Semiconductor Physics Engr. Arvin B.

Aldover

SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS Insulators

Electronic Materials
The goal of electronic materials is to
generate and control the flow of an electrical
current.
Electronic materials include:
1. Conductors: have low resistance which
allows electrical current flow
2. Insulators: have high resistance which
suppresses electrical current flow
3. Semiconductors: can allow or suppress
electrical current flow
 Insulators have a high resistance so
current does not flow in them.
 Good insulators include: Glass,
ceramic, plastics, & wood
 Most insulators are compounds of
several elements.
 The atoms are tightly bound to one
another so electrons are difficult to
strip away for current flow.

ENERGY BANDS IN INSULATORS &
CONDUCTORS

Conductors
 Good conductors have low resistance
so electrons flow through them with
ease.
 Best element conductors include:
Copper, silver, gold, aluminum, &
nickel
 Alloys are also good conductors:
Brass & steel
 Good conductors can also be liquid:
Salt water

The atomic structure of good conductors

usually includes only one electron in their
outer shell. It is called a valence electron.
It is easily striped from the atom, producing
current flow.

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Semicondutors Aluminum Phosphide 2.45 eV

 Semiconductors are materials that Gallium Arsenide 1.43 eV
essentially can be conditioned to act Indium Phosphide 1.35 eV
as good conductors, or good
insulators, or any thing in between.
 Common elements such as carbon,
silicon, and germanium are
semiconductors.
 Silicon is the best and most widely
used semiconductor.
 Forbidden band is small for
semiconductors.
 Less energy required for electron to
move from valence to conduction
band.
 A vacancy (hole) remains when an
electron leaves the valence band.
 Hole acts as a positive charge
carrier.

Atomic Bonding
1. Ionic Bond
 Results from attractive forces
between positive and negative ions
or between pairs of oppositely
charged ions.

Energy Gaps 2. Metallic Bond

Silicon 1.11 eV  Results from attractive forces
Germanium 0.67 eV between a group of positive ions and
Silicon Carbide 2.86 eV

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a sea of electrons that are free to  The shared electrons are attracted
move about among its ions. simultaneously to two atoms
resulting in a force that holds them
3. Covalent Bond together.
 Results when atoms SHARE THEIR
VALENCE ELECTRONS with other
atoms .

Sharedelectrons

Si Si Si

Si Si Si

Si Si - Si

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Semiconductor Physics
WHY SILICON
 Abundant, inexpensive
 Thermal stability
 Silicon dioxide is a strong dielectric
and relatively easy to form
 Silicon dioxide can be used as
diffusion doping mask
Conduction in Semiconductors
 Electron flow : Negative to positive
 Hole flow : Positive to negative
Types of Semiconductor Materials
1. Intrinsic Material
a. A Semiconductor that is FREE
FROM IMPURITIES, such as
Silicon or Germanium.
2. Extrinsic Materials
 Semiconductor materials with SOME
IMPURITIES ADDED to change its
electrical properties.
 The process of adding impurities is
called DOPING.
Doping
Semiconductors can be easily doped.
Doping is the incorporation of [substitutional]
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Engr. Arvin B. Aldover
impurities into a semiconductor according to
our requirements. In other words, impurities
are introduced in a controlled manner
Impurities change the conductivity of the
material so that it can be fabricated into a
device
Types of DOPANTS
1. DONOR or PENTAVALENT ATOMS
a. PHOSPOROUS
b. ANTIMONY
c. ARSENIC
d. BISMUTH
2. ACCEPTOR or TRIVALENT
ATOMS
a. GALLIUM
b. ALUMINUM
c. BORON
d. INDIUM
Type of Extrinsic Materials
1. N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTORS
An extrinsic semiconductor material
formed by adding DONOR impurities, such
as as PENTAVALENT atoms.
Majority carriers are ELECTRONS
Minority carriers are HOLES
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Semiconductor Physics Engr. Arvin B. Aldover

0.7V for Silicon

2. P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTORS 0.3 for Germanium
An extrinsic semiconductor material Barrier potential DECREASES as
formed by adding ACCEPTOR impurities, temperature INCREASES
such as TRIVALENT atoms.

Majority carriers are HOLES

Minority carriers are ELECTRONS

Dopant Concentration and Resistivity

 Higher dopant concentration, more
carriers (electrons or holes)
 Higher conductivity, lower resistivity
 Electrons move faster than holes
 N-type silicon has lower resistivity
than p-type silicon at the same
dopant concentration

PN Junction
When the P-TYPE material and N-
TYPE material are BROUGHT TOGETHER,
they form a so-called PN JUNCTION. The
region created by the PN junction forming a
barrier potential. The DEPLETION refers to
the fact that the region near the PN junction
is DEPLETED of CHARGED CARRIERS
due to diffusion across the junction.

Barrier Potential
The POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE of
the electric field across the depletion region
is the AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE required to
move electrons through the electric field.

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