SEMI CONDUCTORS

DEFINITION:
Semiconductors are materials which have conductivity b/n
conductors and nonconductors.
E.g.: Si, Ge
USE:
They are employed in manufacture of various electronic devices like
diodes, transistors, integrated circuits etc. They vary temperature
conditions and impurity content which changes conductivity.
Combination of various semiconductor types generates special
electrical properties.

TYPES OF SEMI CONDUCTORS

They are classified as two types
1)intrinsic semiconductors
2)extrinsic semiconductors
Intrinsic semiconductors:
Silicon and germanium are elements of intrinsic
semiconductors.
In pure form, Si, Ge do not exhibit characteristics needed for
practical solid-state devices. they are undoped.
Extrinsic semiconductors:
They are impure semiconductors. They are further classified
as
1)N-type
2)P-type
DOPING:
The process of adding impurity atoms to pure conductor is
called doping.

P type semiconductor:
It is an extrinsic semiconductor which is obtained by adding
TRI VALENT impurity atoms such as Boron, gallium, etc to
pure germanium or silicon semiconductor.
The impurity atoms added creates vacancies of electrons
(HOLES) in structure and they are acceptor atoms.
The holes are majority charge carriers and electrons are
minority charge carriers.
Electron density is more in p type semiconductors.

N type semi conductor

Its an extrinsic semiconductor which is obtained by doping
impurity pentavalent impurity atoms such as antimony
,phosporous etc to pure germanium or silicon .
The impurity atoms added ,provides extra electorns in the
structure and they are donor atoms.
Electrons are majority charge carriers and holes are minority
charge carriers.
So electron density is low.

Properties of semiconductors:
Resistivity is higher than conductors but lesser than
insulators.
Resistivity of semiconductor materials decreaseswith
increase in temperature and vice versa.
Power loss is low
They have smaller size and low weight

Semi conductor devices:

Its an electronic component that relies on electronic
properties of a semiconductor material.

PN junction diode:
It’s a two terminal device or two electrode semiconductor
device which allows electric current in one direction.
It is formed by joining p type and N type semiconductors.
There are 3 regions in PN junction diode.
P type region
Depletion layer
N type region

FORWARD BIAS:
When positive voltage is applied b/n PN junction diode it supplies
free electrons and holes with extra energy and require to cross the
junction so width of depletion layer is decreased.
Here voltage potential is connected to positive to P type material and
negative to N type material across the diode.

REVERSE BIAS
When a negative voltage is applied, it results in free charges
being pulled away from the junction resulting in widening of
depletion layer. This has effect of increasing and decreasing
resistance of junction itself.
The voltage potential is connected negative to P type and
positive to N type across the diode.

VI characteristics of PN junction diode

The amount of reverse bias that will cause PN junction diode

to breakdown and conduct in reverse direction is called
reverse breakdown voltage.