Semiconductors

Let’s
Semiconductors

Summarise
 What
What Are
Are Semiconductors?
Semiconductors?

Materials which have a conductivity

between conductors (generally metals)
and non-conductors or insulators (such
as ceramics)
WhatValence Band Theory
Are Semiconductors?

● Overlapping energy levels are

termed as energy bands

● The energy band formed by the

overlapping of valence electrons is
known as valence energy band.
WhatValence Band Theory
Are Semiconductors?

● The energy band formed by the

overlapping of conduction
electrons is known as conduction
energy band.

● Electrical conduction in solid can

take place only when electron
remains present in its conduction
energy band.
WhatValence Band Theory
Are Semiconductors?

● The minimum energy required for

exciting an electron from valence
energy band to conduction energy
band is known as forbidden energy
gap:
Eg = Ec – Ev
 Various
What Types of Solids
Are Semiconductors?

On the basis of band structure of

crystals, solids are divided in three
categories:

● Insulators
● Semiconductors
● Conductors.
 What
Difference AreConductors,
between Semiconductors?
Semi-conductors and
Insulators
S.No. Property Conductors Semiconductors Insulators

Between those of
Electrical conductivity conductors and Negligible 10-13
1. Very high 10-7 mho/m
and its value insulators i.e. 10-7 mho/m
mho/m to 10-13 mho/m

Between those of
Very high
Resistivity and its Negligible less than conductors and
2. more than 105
value 10-5 W-m insulators i.e. 10-5 W-m
W-m
to 105 W-m
 What
Difference AreConductors,
between Semiconductors?
Semi-conductors and
Insulators
S.No. Property Conductors Semiconductors Insulators

3. Band structure

More that in
conductors but less
Very large e.g.
Energy gap and its than that in insulators
4. Zero or very small in diamond?
value e.g. in Ge, ? Eg = 0.72
Eg = 7 eV
eV is Si, ? Eg = 1.1 eV in
Ga As ? Eg = 1.3 eV
 What
Difference AreConductors,
between Semiconductors?
Semi-conductors and
Insulators
S.No. Property Conductors Semiconductors Insulators

Due to free electrons Due to free

Current carriers and Due to free electrons and
5. and holes more than electrons but
current flow very high
that in insulators negligible.

Number of current
carriers (electrons or
6. Very high Very low negligible
holes) at ordinary
temperature

Valence band is
The valence and
completely
Condition of valence conduction bands are Valence band in
filled and
band and conduction completely filled or somewhat empty and
7. conduction
band at ordinary conduction band is conduction band is
band is
temperature somewhat empty (e.g. in somewhat filled
completely
Na)
empty.
 What
Difference AreConductors,
between Semiconductors?
Semi-conductors and
Insulators
S.No. Property Conductors Semiconductors Insulators

Behaves like a Behaves like an

8. Behaviour at 0 K Behaves like an insulator
superconductor insulator

Temperature coefficient
9. Positive Negative Negative
of resistance (s)

Effects of temperature Conductivity

10. Conductivity decreases Conductivity increases
on conductivity increases

On increasing
temperature the
11. Decreases Increases Increases
number of current
carriers

On mixing impurities Remains

12. increases decreases
their resistance unchanged
 What AreofSemiconductors?
Types Semiconductors

Semiconductors

Intrinsic Extrinsic
semiconductor Semiconductors

N type P type
What Are Semiconductors?
What is a Hole?

● A pure semiconductor, free from

impurities is called intrinsic
semiconductor.

● In an intrinsic semiconductor, the

number of holes = number of
electrons. Thus ne = nh = ni
WhatIntrinsic
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● A pure semiconductor, free from

impurities is called intrinsic
semiconductor.

● In an intrinsic semiconductor, the

number of holes = number of
electrons. Thus ne = nh = ni
WhatExtrinsic
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● When a small amount, of a suitable

impurity is added to the pure
semiconductor, such materials are
known as extrinsic semiconductors
or impurity semiconductors.
WhatExtrinsic
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● Doping: The deliberate addition of a

desirable impurity is called doping.

● Dopants:The impurity atoms are

called dopants.
DifferenceWhat Are
between Semiconductors?
Intrinsic and Extrinsic semiconductors

S.No. Intrinsic semiconductors Extrinsic semiconductors

Pure Ge or Si is known as intrinsic The semiconductor, resulting from mixing impurity

1.
semiconductor in it, is known as extrinsic semiconductors.

Their conductivity is low (because only one

2. Their conductivity is high
electron in 109 contribute)

The number of free electrons (ni) in

3. conduction band is equal to the number of In this case ni is not equal to pi
holes (pi) in valence band.

4. These are not practically used These are practically used

In these the energy gap is more than that in pure

5. In these the energy gap is very small
semiconductors.

In these the Fermi energy level lies in the In these the Fermi level shifts towards valence or
6.
middle of valence band and conduction conduction energy bands.
What n-type
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● N-Type (n-type) semiconductor is

obtained by adding a small amount
of pentavalent (V group) impurity to
a sample of intrinsic
semiconductor.

● The pentavalent impurities are P

(phosphorus Z=15), As (Z=3), Sb
(z=51), Bi(Z=83).
What n-type
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● In N-type semiconductor, the

electrons are the majority charge
carriers while positive holes are
minority charge carriers.

● Although N-type semiconductor

has excess of electrons but it is
electrically neutral.
What p-type
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● P-Type (type) semiconductor is

obtained by adding a small amount
of trivalent (III group) impurity to
intrinsic semiconductor.

● The impurities may be Boron (Z=5),

AI(Z=13), Ga (Z=31), In (Z=49), TI
(Z=81).
What p-type
Are Semiconductors?
semiconductors

● In P-type semiconductor materials,

the majority carriers are positive
holes while minority carriers are the
electrons.

● The P–type semiconductor remains

electrically neutral as the number of
mobile holes under all conditions
remains equal to the number of
acceptors.
What Semiconductor
Are Semiconductors?
Current

● Current flow in a semiconductor

arises from the motion of charge
carriers in both the conduction and
valence bands.

● The mobile charges in the

conduction band are electrons and
those in the valence band are holes.
What Semiconductor
Are Semiconductors?
Current

● The current is in general made up of

two components, drift current and
diffusion current.
What Are Semiconductors?
Mobility

● The term mobility in electronics

refers to the ability to move.

● Mobility of electron In
semiconductors gives the idea of
the movement of the electrons in
the semiconductor materials.
What Are Semiconductors?
Mobility

● Formula of Mobility of charge

carriers:

● Unit of Mobility
What Are
p-nSemiconductors?
junction Diode

● When a P-type material is

intimately joined to N-type, a P-N
junction is formed.

● P-type crystal is placed in contact

with N-type crystal so as to form
one piece, the assembly so
obtained is called P-N junction
diode.
What AreForward
Semiconductors?
biasing

● When a diode is connected in a

forward bias condition, a negative
voltage is applied to the N-type
material and a positive voltage is
applied to the P-type material.
What AreReverse
Semiconductors?
Biasing

● When a diode is connected in a

Reverse Bias condition, a positive
voltage is applied to the N-type
material and a negative voltage is
applied to the P-type material.
What AreSpecial
Semiconductors?
Devices

1. Zener Diode
a. A property doped P-N junction
diode which works in the
breakdown region without
damaging itself is called a
zener diode.

b. Zener diode is also known as

breakdown diode. It is mainly as
a voltage regulator.
What AreSpecial
Semiconductors?
Devices

1. Zener Diode
a. Zener diode is also known as
breakdown diode. It is mainly as
a voltage regulator.
b. Symbol
What AreSpecial
Semiconductors?
Devices

2. Photo Diode: The junction diode which

conducts when charge carriers are
generated by the photons i.e., light
incident on it is known as optoelectronic
junction device.
What AreSpecial
Semiconductors?
Devices

3. LED : A light-emitting diode (LED) is a

semiconductor light source
that emits light when current flows
through it.
What AreSpecial
Semiconductors?
Devices

4. Solar Cell : A solar cell, or photovoltaic

cell, is an electrical device that converts
the energy of light directly into
electricity by the photovoltaic effect,
which is a physical and chemical
phenomenon.
What Are Semiconductors?
Transistors

● A transistor is an electronic device

formed by p and n-type of
semiconductor which is used in
placed of a triode valve.

● Transistors are of two type:

p-n-p transistor and n-p-n
transistor.
What Are Semiconductors?
N-P-N Transistors
What Are Semiconductors?
P-N-P Transistors
What Are Semiconductors?
TRANSISTOR ACTION
WhatAction
Are Semiconductors?
of NPN Transistors
WhatAction
Are Semiconductors?
of PNP Transistors
What Are Semiconductors?
Logic Gates

OR Gate
What Are Semiconductors?
Logic Gates

AND Gate
What Are Semiconductors?
Logic Gates

NOT Gate
What Are Semiconductors?
Logic Gates

NOR Gate
What Are Semiconductors?
Logic Gates

NAND Gate
 Let’s
Semiconductors

Summarise
Let’s
Solve

1 In the given circuit, the current () through the battery will be

A 1A

B 2.5 A

C 2A

D 1.5 A
Let’s
Solve

1 In the given circuit, the current () through the battery will be

A 1A

B 2.5 A

C 2A

D 1.5 A
SOLUTION
Let’s
Solve

The logic operations performed by the given digital circuit

2 is equivalent to

A NOR

B AND

C NAND

D OR
Let’s
Solve

The logic operations performed by the given digital circuit

2 is equivalent to

A NOR

B AND

C NAND

D OR
SOLUTION
Let’s
Solve

The logic performed by the circuit shown in figure is

3 equivalent to:

A NAND

B AND

C OR

D NOR
Let’s
Solve

The logic performed by the circuit shown in figure is

3 equivalent to:

A NAND

B AND

C OR

D NOR
SOLUTION
Let’s
Solve

If each diode has a forward bias resistance of 25Ω in the

4 below circuit. Which of the following options is correct:

A I3/I4 = 1

B I1/I2 = 2

C I2/I3 = 1

D I1/I2 = 1
Let’s
Solve

If each diode has a forward bias resistance of 25Ω in the

4 below circuit. Which of the following options is correct:

A I3/I4 = 1

B I1/I2 = 2

C I2/I3 = 1

D I1/I2 = 1
SOLUTION
Let’s
Solve
A zener diode of power rating 1.6 W is to be used as voltage
5 regulator. If the zener diode has a breakdown of 8V and it
has to regulate fluctuating between 3 V and 10 V. The
value of resistance RS for safe operation of diode will be

A 13 Ω

B 13.3 Ω

C 10 Ω

D 12 Ω
Let’s
Solve
A zener diode of power rating 1.6 W is to be used as voltage
5 regulator. If the zener diode has a breakdown of 8V and it
has to regulate fluctuating between 3 V and 10 V. The
value of resistance RS for safe operation of diode will be

A 13 Ω

B 13.3 Ω

C 10 Ω

D 12 Ω
SOLUTION
 Let’s
Semiconductors

Summarise