Semiconductors 1

Jayant Nagda
JEE Coach & Motivational Speaker

B.Tech, IIT Bombay

IIT-JEE AIR - 161
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Types of Solids

large number some free electrons electrons are tightly

of free electrons bound
Electronic devices Electronic devices are important part of our
daily lives and they are utilized in various fields like
telecommunication, entertainment, computers and
many more.

All such electronic devices require a controlled flow

of electrons in them, such devices make the basic
building blocks of all the electronic circuits.
Electronics Electronics comprises the physics, engineering,
technology and applications that deal with the
emission, flow and control of electrons in vacuum
and matter.

The identification of the electron in 1897,

along with the subsequent invention of the
vacuum tube which could amplify and rectify
small electrical signals, is an ever-evolving process.
Vacuum Tubes In these the electrons can flow only from the
cathode to the anode (i.e., only in one direction).
Therefore, such devices are generally referred to
as valves.

These vacuum tube devices are bulky, consume

high power, operate generally at high voltages
(~100 V) and have limited life and low reliability.
Semiconductors

Semiconductor devices are

● small in size,
● consumes less power,
● have long life times
● more efficient than vacuum tubes
● but also are of low cost.

Since the discovery of transistor in 1948,

rapid advancement in electronics which we see today
are due to the valuable contributions of semiconductor
devices.
Semiconductors

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT)

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Energy Levels In an atom, electrons revolve in different
orbit around nucleus.

In isolated atom the valence electrons

can exist only in one of the allowed orbitals
each of a sharply defined energy called energy levels.

But when two atoms are brought nearer to each other,

there are alterations in energy levels and they spread in
the form of bands.
Energy Bands However, an atom in a solid is in the influence of
neighboring atoms.

In a crystal of N-atoms each energy level is in influence

of all the atoms and so splits into N close sub levels.
 Energy Bands

Inside the crystal

each electron has a
unique position and
no two electrons
see exactly the same
pattern of surrounding charges.

Because of this,
each electron will have
a different energy level.

These different energy

levels with continuous
energy variation form what are
called energy bands.
 Types of Energy Bands

The energy band formed by a series of energy levels containing

valence electrons is called Valence Band.

The higher energy level band to valence band is called Conduction Band.
Types of Energy Bands
1. Valence Band
The highest energy band containing electrons is called Valence Band.

● This band is always fulfill by electron.

● This is the band of maximum energy.
● Electrons are not capable of gaining
energy from external electric field.
● No flow of current due to such electrons.
● The highest energy level which can be
occupied by an electron in valence band
at 0 K is called fermi level.
Fermi Energy Level EF
Fermi Energy Level EF
Types of Energy Bands

2. Conduction Band
The higher energy level band is called the conduction band.

● It is also called empty band of minimum energy.

● This band is partially filled by the electrons.
● In this band the electrons can gain energy
from external electric field.
● The electrons in the conduction band
are called the free electrons. They are able to
move anywhere within the volume of the solid.
● Current flows due to such electrons.
Types of Energy Bands
3. Forbidden Energy Gap (ΔEg)
Energy gap between conduction band and valence band

ΔEg= (C.B.)min - (V.B.)max

● No free electron present in forbidden

energy gap.

● Width of forbidden energy gap depends

upon the nature of substance.
Types of Solids

Overlap

Increasing energy
 On the basis of band structure of crystals,
Types of Solids solids are divided in three categories

Properties Conductors Insulators Semiconductors

Energy gap Zero or very Very large; for Ge Eg = 0.7 eV

small diamond 6 eV
for Si Eg = 1.1 eV

Condition of V.B. and C.B. V.B. – V.B. –somewhat empty

are completely completely filled
Valance Band filled or
(V.B.) and C.B. –
Conduction Band C.B. is completely C.B. – somewhat filled
(C.B.) somewhat unfilled
empty
at ordinary
temperature
 Properties Conductors Insulators Semiconductors

Current carrier Free electrons –– Free electrons and

holes

Electron density 1029/m3 — Ge ~ 1019 /m3

Si ~ 1016 /m3

Examples Cu, Ag, Au, Na, Wood, plastic, Ge, Si, Ga, As etc.
Pt, Hg etc. mica, diamond,
glass etc.
Choose only false statement from the following -
A. In conductors the valence and conduction band overlap
B. Substance with energy gap of the order of 10 eV
are insulators.
C. The resistivity of a semiconductor increase with
increase in temperature.
D. The conductivity of semiconductor increase with
increase in temperature
 Properties Conductors Insulators Semiconductors

Electrical Conductivity 102 to 108 Ʊ/m 10-11 to 10-19 Ʊ/m 105 to 10-6 Ʊ/m

Resistivity 10–2 to 10–8 Ω-m 1011 to 1019 Ω-m 10-5 to 106 Ω-m
(negligible)

Temperature coefficient of resistance Positive Zero Negative

(α)

Effect of temperature on resistance Increases — Decreases

Effect of temperature on conductivity Decreases — Increases

Temperature of a semiconductor is changed from
room temperature to 273 K. Then which statement is
correct for that semiconductor -

A. Conductance increases

B. Resistance decreases

C. Conductance decreases

D. None
A strip of copper and another of germanium are cooled from
room temperature to 80K. The resistance of
[AIEEE 2003]

A. Each of these decreases

B. Copper strip increases and that of germanium decreases
C. Copper strip decreases and that of germanium increases
D. Each of these increases
The temperature dependence of resistances of Cu and
undoped Si in the temperature range 300-400 K, is best
described by :
[JEE Main 2016]

A. Linear decrease for Cu, linear decrease for Si

B. Linear increase for Cu, linear increase for Si

C. Linear increase for Cu, exponential decrease of Si.

D. Linear increase for Cu, exponential increase for Si

Holes At absolute zero temperature (0 K)
Conduction band of semiconductor is completely
empty and the semiconductor behaves as an insulator.
At absolute zero, Si acts as
[AIEEE 2002]

A. Non -metal B. Metal

C. Insulator D. None of these

Holes

When temperature increases the valence electrons acquires

thermal energy to jump to the conduction band (Due to the
breaking of covalent bond). If they jumps to C.B. they leave
behind the deficiency of electrons in the valence band.
This deficiency of electron is known as hole or cotter.
 Holes

A hole is considered as a seat of

positive charge, having magnitude of
charge equal to that of an electron.
Variation of Resistance in Semiconductors

● As temperature is increased, more holes and

free electrons are created due to breaking of
bonds.
● This increases charge carriers hence
conductivity of a semiconductor such as
germanium increases as the temperature is
increased.
Cu and Ge are cooled to 70K then -

A. The resistance of Cu will increase and that

of Ge will decrease
B. the resistance of Cu will decrease and that
of Ge will increase
C. the resistance of both Cu and Ge decrease
D. the resistance of both Cu and Ge increase
Variation of Resistance in Conductors

● As temperature is increased, the random

collisions of the free electrons with the particles
in the conductor become more frequent.
● This decreases the drift speed
● Hence conductivity of a conductor such as copper
decreases as the temperature is increased.
Holes 1. Holes acts as virtual positive charge,
although there is no physical charge on it.
2. Effective mass of hole is more than electron.
3. Mobility of hole is less than electron.
4. holes are usually slower because they stay in
the valence energy band while electrons can be
in the conduction bands.
5. The drift velocity of
electrons (ve) is
greater than that
of holes (vh)
The mobility of free electrons is greater than that
of free holes because

A. they carry negative charge.

B. mutual collision in them is less.
C. they require low energy to continue their motion
D. none of these
The energy band gap is maximum in
[AIEEE 2002]

A. metals B. superconductors
C. insulators D. semiconductors
If the lattice constant of this semiconductor is decreased,
then which of the following is correct? [AIEEE 2006]
A. All EC, Eg , EV increase
B. EC and EV increase, but Eg decreases
C. EC and EV decrease, but Eg increases
D. All EC,Eg , EV decrease
Carbon, Silicon and Germanium have four valence
electrons each. At room temperature which one of the
following statements is most appropriate?
[AIEEE 2007]

A. The number of free electrons for conduction is

significant only in Si and Ge but small in C.

The number of free electrons is significant in C

B. but small in Si and Ge.

The number of free conduction electrons is

C.
negligibly small in all the three.

The number of free electrons for conduction is

D. significant in all the three.
 Type of bonds present in the semiconductors is -

A. covalent bond B. monovalent bond

C. co-ordinate bond D. None of these

Ans: A
 A piece of copper and another of germanium are cooled
from room temperature to 77K the resistance of
[AIEEE 2004]

A. Copper increases and germanium decreases

B. Each of them decreases
C. Each of them increases
D. Copper decreases and germanium increases

Ans: D
 Semiconductor is characterised by -

A. Full filled valence band

C. Partially filled valence band

B. Overlapping of valence band and conduction band

D. None of these

Ans: B
 In which of the following the width of the
forbidden band is small ?

A. Good conductors
B. Semiconductors
C. Insulators
D. The width of forbidden band has nothing to do with
the conductivity

Ans: B
 By increasing the temperature, the specific resistance
of a conductor and a semiconductor
[AIEEE 2002]

A. Increasing for both B. Decreases for both

C. Increases, decreases D. None of these

Ans: C
 The difference in the variation of resistance with temperature
in a metal and a semiconductor arises essentially due to the
difference in the
[AIEEE 2003]
A. Crystal structure
B. Variation of the number of charge carries with temperature
C. Type of bonding
D. Variation of scattering mechanism with temperature.

Ans: B
 For semiconductor what is the Fermi energy gap (nearly) -

A. 6eV
B. Zero
C. 1 eV
D. Infinite

Ans: C
 Which of the energy band diagram shown in the figure
corresponds to that of a semiconductor

A. B.

C. D.

Ans: D
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