SEMICONDUCTORS

SEMICONDUCTORS HAVE RESISTIVITY

BETWEEN GOOD CONDUCTORS AND
INSULATORS.
THE RESISTIVITY OF SEMICONDUCTOR LIES
APPROXIMATELY IN BETWEEN 10 -2 OHM M AND
10 4 OHM M AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.

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 ENERGY BANDS IN SOLIDS

There are discrete energy levels in the case of an isolated atom.

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ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRONS IN AN
ISOLATED SILICON

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IN SOLIDS , THE ATOMS ARE ARRANGED IN A
SYSTEMATIC SPACE LATTICE AND EACH ATOM IS
INFLUENCED BY NEIGHBOURING ATOMS.
THE CLOSENESS OF ATOMS RESULTS IN THE
INTERMIXING OF ELECTRONS OF NEIGHBOURRING
ATOMS.

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 Insulators
In an insulator, the forbidden
Conduction Band gap is very large and in
general is more than 3eV.

FORBIDDEN GAP No electron is available for

conduction.
Energy

Large amount of energy is

Valence Band
needed to move electron from
valance band to conduction
Filled Band
band.

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 Semiconductors
In the case of semiconductors
the forbidden gap is very small.

Conduction Band At 0K the conduction band is

empty and the valence band is
FORBIDDEN GAP completely filled.
Around 0.7eV (Ge) and
1.1 eV (Si)
When a small amount of energy
is supplied, the electrons can
Energy

Valence Band easily jump the forbidden gap.

The conductivity of a
semiconductor is of the order of
Filled Band 10 2mho m-1 8
 Conductors
In conductors there is no
forbidden gap.

The valence band and the

conduction band overlap.
Conduction Band
The electrons from valence band
freely enter into the conduction
Energy

No forbidden gap band due to overlapping of bands.

Valence Band
Therefore very low potential
difference can cause continuous
flow of current.
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Electrons and holes in semiconductors

At absolute 0 temperature, in a
At 0 K
pure semiconductor the valence
band is completely filled and the
Conduction Band conduction band is vacant.
Energy

Valence Band Electron

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 Electrons and holes in semiconductors
At Room At room temperature some of
temperature
the electrons get energy to
Conduction Band
break the covalent bond and
moves in to the conduction
Energy

band.

Valence Band Electron

Hole
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FORMATION OF N - TYPE MATERIAL

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Group 3 atoms have one less electron than
silicon so when they are introduced into the
crystal, there is a hole' where one extra electron
should be.

Electrons from neighbouring atoms can move

into this hole, leaving a hole where they used to
be which is in turn filled by another
neighbouring electron.
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FORMATION OF P - TYPE MATERIAL

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