TLE Homework #1 1. What is doping?

For a semiconductor material to have the properties needed to work in electronic components, impurities are usually added. The impurities cause the materials to conduct current in certain ways. The addition of impurity to a semiconductor is called doping. Sometimes the impurity is called dopant. 2. Identify and describe the types of impurities used in doping. 3. Trivalent. Made of elements with 3 valence electrons and are used to make P-type material. Pentavalent. Made of elements with 5 valence electrons and are used to make N-type material.

Distinguish P-type from N-type semiconductors A material with an acceptor impurity is called a P-type semiconductor, because holes have positive charge. A material with a donor impurity is called an N- type semiconductor, because electrons have negative charge. Donor impurities. When an impurity contains an excess of electrons, the dopant is called a donor impurity. Adding such a substance causes conduction mainly by means of electron flow, as in a metal like copper. The excess electrons are passed from atom to atom when a voltage exists across the material. Elements that serve as donor impurities include antimony, arsenic, bismuth, and phosphorus. Acceptor impurities. If an impurity has a deficiency of electrons, the dopant is called an acceptor impurity. When a substance such as aluminum, boron, gallium, or indium is added to a semiconductor, the material conducts by means of hole flow. A hole is a missing electron; it is described in more detail shortly. Sometimes electrons dominate the current flow in a semiconductor; this is the case if the material has donor impurities. In substances having acceptor impurities, holes dominate. The dominating charge carriers (either electrons or holes) are the majority carriers. The less abundant ones are the minority carriers. The ratio of majority to minority carriers can vary, depending on the nature of the semiconducting material.

4.

Define the following terms

5.

How does doping support current flow in semiconductor? When pure semiconductor material is doped with a pentavalent material, such as arsenic (As), some of the existing atoms are displaced with As atoms. The As atom shares four of its valence electrons with adjacent silicon atoms in a covalent bond. Its fifth electron is loosely attached to the nucleus and is easily set free. The As atoms is referred to as donor atom because it gives its extra electron away. There are many donor atoms in a semiconductor material that has been doped. This means that many free electrons are available to support current flow.