Focus 3

Modelling behaviour of semiconductors

- Pure Si as semiconductor – high resistance

o 4 valence electrons – all involved in sharing each of its four valence electrons with

another Si atom

o Each of electrons paired with one from another Si atom – covalent bond

o Current only flows when sufficient energy mobilises valence electrons into

conduction band

- Adding small amount of impurity to silicon (doping), semiconductor formed has much

lower electrical resistance, allowing current to flow more easily

o Doping with group 3 element – dopant atoms have one less valence electron

than Si

 One silicon atom left with unbound electron, and slightly positive region

(hole) where there is a position for another electron to be shared

 Positive hole – less energy required for mobilising charge into conduction

band

 P-type – primary charge carrier is positive holes

 Potential difference on p-type semiconductor – hole starts to move, swaps

with electrons – drifting through Si lattice to carry current

o Doping with group 5 element – dopant atoms have one more valence electron

than Si

 One electron from dopant atom left unbound, thus energy required to

mobilise electron into conduction band is reduced

 N-type – primary charge carriers are negatively charged electrons

 When potential different applied, unbound electron of dopant atom raised

to conduction band, loses energy to another electron in nearby covalent

bond, electron in that bond then moves into conduction band

  Thus, electrons drift through the silicon lattice as a current

Problems with electrical circuits and the development of solid-state devices

- Desire to transport more and more information – signals needed to be amplified to allow

transportation over large distances

- Thermionic devices (diode/triode) used to rectify/amplify strength of electrical signals

www.pbs.org/transistor

- William Shockley (Bell Labs, US) – found that impurities incorporated into semiconductor

crystals produced connection – created solid-state device (transistor)

o Transistors – small, efficient, capable of responding to required high frequency

signals

The impact of the invention of the transistor and the development of the microprocessor

- Huge impact on modern society and the way in which humans in developed world lead

lives

- Enabled miniaturisation of electrical circuits and production of microprocessor

o Microprocessor development enabled space exploration, satellite technology,

communication across Earth