Electrical Devices & Circuits

EEE – 205

Lecture - 01

Jubayer Al Mahmud
Lecturer
State University of Bangladesh
 Outline
• Semiconductor
• Conductor
• Insulator
• Semiconductor Classification
– Intrinsic
– Extrinsic
• p-type
• n-type
• P-type vs N-type

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 Semiconductors
• Semiconductors are materials whose electrical properties lie
between Conductors and Insulators.
• Example: germanium, selenium, silicon etc.

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 Semiconductors
• An electrical conductor is a
substance in which electrical
charge carriers, usually electrons,
move easily from atom to atom
with the application of voltage.

• An electrical insulator is a
material whose internal electric
charges do not flow freely, and
therefore make it nearly impossible
to conduct an electric current
under the influence of an electric
field
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 Semiconductors
• Silicon is used in most semiconductors for computer and
electronic components, as is it considered to be the best
semiconductor material.

• A semiconductor's quality is measured as a value of

electrical conductivity, which is how well a material
conducts electricity.

• As the temperature rises in a semiconductor, its

conductivity increases due to a decrease in resistance in
the material.

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 Classification of Semiconductors
• Semiconductors that are free of doping impurities are
called intrinsic semiconductors.
– silicon and germanium

• Semiconductors formed after adding impurities are

called extrinsic semiconductors.
– Diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, LEDs.

 Doping is a process of adding a certain amount of specific impurities

called dopants to a pure semiconductor to increase its electricity
conductivity.

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 Classification of Semiconductors
• Extrinsic Semiconductors are classified in to P-type and
N-type semiconductor.

• P-type:
– A P-type material is one in which holes are majority carriers
– They are positively charged materials

• N-type:
– A N-type material is one in which electrons are majority charge
carriers
– They are negatively charged materials

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 N-type Semiconductor (1/3)
• When a small amount of pentavalent impurity is added to
a pure semiconductor, it is known as n-type
semiconductor.
• Pentavalent impurities are arsenic and antimony.
• Such impurities which produce n-type semiconductor are
known as donor impurities because they donate free
electrons to the semiconductor crystal.

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 N-type Semiconductor (2/3)
• Consider a pure germanium crystal
• Germanium atom has four valence electrons
• When a small amount of pentavalent impurity like
arsenic is added to germanium crystal, a large number of
free electrons become available in the crystal.
• Arsenic is pentavalent i.e. its atom has five valence
electrons.

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 N-type Semiconductor (3/3)
• The fifth valence electron of arsenic atom finds no place
in co-valent bonds.
• Therefore, for each arsenic atom added, one free
electron will be available in the germanium crystal.
• Though each arsenic atom provides one free electron,
yet an extremely small amount of arsenic impurity
provides enough atoms to supply millions of free
electrons.

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 N-type Conductivity (1/2)

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 N-type Conductivity (2/2)
• The current conduction in an n-type semiconductor is
predominantly by free electrons i.e. negative charges and is
called n-type or electron type conductivity.
• When voltage is applied across the n-type semiconductor,
the free electrons (donated by impurity) in the crystal will be
directed towards the positive terminal, constituting electric
current.
• It may be noted that conduction is just as in ordinary metals
like copper.
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 P-type Semiconductor (1/3)
• When a small amount of trivalent impurity is added to a
pure semiconductor, it is called P-type semiconductor.
• Trivalent impurities are gallium and indium.
• Such impurities which produce p-type semiconductor are
known as acceptor impurities because the holes created
can accept the electrons.

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 P-type Semiconductor (2/3)
• Consider a pure germanium crystal.

• When a small amount of trivalent impurity like gallium is added to

germanium crystal, there exists a large number of holes in the crystal.

• Gallium is trivalent . Its atom has three valence electrons.

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 P-type Semiconductor (3/3)
• Three valence electrons of gallium atom can form only three
single co-valent bonds with three germanium atoms.

• Fourth bond is incomplete; being short of one electron.

• This missing electron is called a hole. Therefore, for each

gallium atom added, one hole is created. A small amount of
gallium provides millions of holes.
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 P-type Conductivity (1/2)

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 P-type Conductivity (2/2)
• The current conduction in p-type semiconductor is
predominantly by holes i.e. positive charges and is called p-
type or hole-type conductivity.
• When voltage is applied to the p-type semiconductor, the
holes (donated by the impurity) are shifted from one co-valent
bond to another.
• As the holes are positively charged, therefore, they are
directed towards the negative terminal, constituting what is
known as hole current.
• It may be noted that in p-type conductivity, the valence
electrons move from one co-valent bond to another unlike the
n-type where current conduction is by free electrons.

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 P-type vs N-Type
Basis of Difference
Group of Doping Element
Nature of Doping Element
Majority Carriers
Movement of Majority carriers Majority carriers move
Type of impurity added
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P-type N-type
In P type semiconductor In n type semiconductor
III group element is V group element is added
added as doping element. as doping element.
Impurity added creates Impurity added provides
vacancy of electrons extra electrons and is
(holes) called as Acceptor known as Donor Atom.
Atom.
Holes are majority Electrons are majority
carriers. Electrons are carriers. Holes are
minority carriers minority carriers
Majority carriers move
from higher to lower from lower to higher
potential. potential.
Al, Ga, In etc. are added. P, As, Sb, Bi etc. are
added.
 Thank You

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