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Introduction To Basic Electronics

Here are the answers to the quiz questions: 1. Conductors have many free electrons allowing for easy flow of electricity. Insulators have no or very few free electrons, making the flow of electricity very difficult. 2. N-type semiconductors have an excess of electrons, making electrons the majority carriers. P-type semiconductors have an excess of holes, making holes the majority carriers. 3. Semiconductor doping is the process of adding impurities (dopants) to an intrinsic semiconductor to alter its electrical properties. Dopants introduce either extra electrons (n-type) or holes (p-type). 4. Pentavalent atoms have 5 valence electrons. Trivalent atoms have

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Patrick Teodoro
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46 views

Introduction To Basic Electronics

Here are the answers to the quiz questions: 1. Conductors have many free electrons allowing for easy flow of electricity. Insulators have no or very few free electrons, making the flow of electricity very difficult. 2. N-type semiconductors have an excess of electrons, making electrons the majority carriers. P-type semiconductors have an excess of holes, making holes the majority carriers. 3. Semiconductor doping is the process of adding impurities (dopants) to an intrinsic semiconductor to alter its electrical properties. Dopants introduce either extra electrons (n-type) or holes (p-type). 4. Pentavalent atoms have 5 valence electrons. Trivalent atoms have

Uploaded by

Patrick Teodoro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to

Semiconductors
Semiconductor Physics
Matter

Liquid Solid Gas

Crystalline Non Crystalline

Conductor

Semiconductor

Insulator
The Bohr Model of an Atom
• The Bohr model shows that the
electrons in atoms are in orbits
of differing energy around the
nucleus (think of planets orbiting
around the sun).
• Uses the term energy levels (or
shells) to describe these orbits of
differing energy.
Valence
• Ability of an atom to combine
with other atoms
• The valence of an atom is
determined by the number of
electrons in the atom’s
outermost shell
• The electron on the outermost
shell of an atom is called
valence electron
Covalent Bonding
• The sharing of valence electrons between two or more atoms.
• Covalent bonding holds the atoms together in an orderly structure
called a crystal
Valence Electron
• The electrons in the outermost
shell of an atom
• They dictate the nature of the
chemical reaction of the atom
and largely determine the
electrical nature of solid matter
Ionization
• Process by which an atom loses
or gains an electron
• Positive ion – atom that loses
some of its electrons and
becomes positively charged
• Negative ion – atom that has an
excess number of electrons and is
negatively charged
Three Broad Categories of
Materials
•Conductor
•Insulator
•Semiconductor
Conductor
• Elements which conduct electricity very readily
• Have three or less valence electrons
• Silver, Copper, Gold
Insulator
• Materials that have extremely high resistance to the flow of electricity
• Five or more valence electrons
• Negative temperature coefficient
• Plastics, paper
Semiconductor
• In between conductor or insulator in terms of the ability to conduct
current
• Four valence electrons
• Silicon, Germanium, Carbon
Band Theory of Solids
Band Theory of Solids
• Band theory helps us understand what makes a conductor, insulator,
or semiconductor
• The highest occupied band is called the VALENCE band. This is full
• For conduction of electrical energy there must be electrons in the
CONDUCTION band. Electrons are free to move in this band
Semiconductor Fundamentals
• Intrinsic Semiconductor
• Semiconductors that have been carefully refined to reduce the impurities to a
very low level
• Extrinsic Semiconductor
• Semiconductor material that has been subjected to the doping process
Intrinsic Semiconductor
• Semiconductor in pure
form
• At room temperature,
the number of electrons
are equal to the number
of holes
• Ex: Pure Germanium,
Pure Silicon
Silicon and Germanium Crystals
Extrinsic Semiconductor
• Semiconductor material that has been subjected to the doping
process

• Hole – the absence of an electron in the valence band of an atom


• Free electron – an electron that has acquired enough energy to break
away from the valence band of the parent atom
• Two types: P-Type and N-Type
Doping
• The process of adding
impurities to intrinsic
semiconductors to alter
their properties
• To increase electron or
hole concentration
Semiconductor Doping
• Addition of a small percentage of foreign atoms (impurities) in the
regular crystal lattice of silicon or germanium
• Pentavalent
• Trivalent
Doping
Donors Acceptors
(column V elements) (column III elements)
(add more electrons) (add more holes)

P Phosphorous B Boron
(most common) (most common)
As Arsenic Ga Gallium
Sb Antimony In Indium
Al Aluminum
Pentavalent Impurities
• Impurity atoms with 5 valence
electrons
• Produces N-Type semiconductors
by contributing excess electrons
• Donor atoms
• Phosphorous
• Arsenic
• Antimony
Trivalent Impurities
• Impurity atoms with 3 valence
electrons
• Produces P-Type semiconductors
by producing a “hole” or electron
deficiency
• Acceptor atoms
• Boron
• Aluminum
• Gallium
• Indium
Two General Type of
Semiconductors
• N-type
• P-type
N-type Semiconductor
• Produced by adding impuriy
elements that have FIVE valence
electrons (pentavalent) to
produce excess electrons, greatly
increasing the conductivity of the
intrinsic semiconductor
• Diffused impurities with five
valence electrons are called
donor atoms
• Majority Carriers: Electrons
• Minority Carriers: Holes
P-type Semiconductor
• Formed by doping a pure
Germanium or Silicon crystal
with impurity atoms having
THREE valence electrons
(trivalent).
• Diffused impurities with three
valence electrons are called
acceptor atoms
• Majority carriers: Holes
• Minority carriers: Electrons
P-type vs N-type
Electron and Hole Current
• Electron Current – movement of free electrons in a semiconductor
material
• Hole Current –
Electron and Hole Current
PN Junction
• A p–n junction is a boundary or interface between two types of
semiconductor materials, p-type and n-type, inside a single crystal of
semiconductor.
• The boundary between two different types of semiconductive
materials.
• A PN-junction is formed when an N-type material is fused together
with a P-type material creating a semiconductor diode
Depletion Region
• A region around the PN junction where no current carriers exist
• Also called the insulation region
Bias
• Current or voltage applied to a semiconductor component to turn it
on or off

• Forward Bias – connection wherein the P-region is connected to


positive terminal of the source
• Reverse Bias – connection wherein the N-region is connected to
positive terminal of the source
No Applied Bias
• When there is no voltage
applied across the PN junction,
the potential developed across
the junction is 0.3 volts at 25
degrees C for germanium PN
junction and 0.7 volts at 25
degrees C for silicon PN junction
Forward Biased PN Junction
Reverse Biased PN Junction
The PN Junction Diode
• made from a small piece of
semiconductor material, usually
silicon, in which half is doped as
a p region and half is doped as an
n region with a pn junction and
depletion region in between.
• The P-region is called anode
• The N-region is called cathode
Assignment
• Look for special types of diodes (6-7)
• Symbol
• Characteristic Curve
• Uses
• Construction
Quiz number 1
• What are the difference between conductors and insulators? (20pts)
• Describe the difference between n-type and p-type semiconductor
materials (20pts)
• Describe the process called semiconductor doping (10pts)
• What is the difference between a pentavalent and trivalent atom?
(20pts)
• Describe the forward bias condition of a PN junction (10pts)
• Describe the reverse bias condition of a PN junction (10pts)
• Describe the depletion region (20pts)

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