DEPARMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH

Names : P.Kumar Babu

DESIGNATION : LECTURER IN E.C.E
Branch : Electronics & commu. Engg.
INSTITUTE : G.P.W,SURYAPET
YEAR/SEMESTER : III Semester
SUBJECT : ELECTRONICS-I
SUBJECT CODE : EE-305
TOPIC : SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Duration : 50 min.
SUB.TOPIC : DISTINGUISH BETWEEM INTRINSIC’
EXTRINSIC AND P-TYPE,N-TYPE
SEMICONDUCTORS
Teaching Aids : PPT, Figures,
EC305.13
Animations 1
RECAP

• Why silicon and germanium are known as

semiconductors?

• What is a p-type material and n-type material?

• You know what is a hole current and electron current.

• How the p-type and n-type semiconductor are formed.

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OBJECTIVES:

Upon the completion of this topic the student will be able to

know

• Types of semiconductors, comparison

of Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors.

• Formation and compare P and N type semiconductors.

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 SEMICONDUCTORS

Intrinsic semiconductor Extrinsic semiconductor

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INTRINSIC SEMICOMDUCTOR:

A semiconductor is an extremely pure form.

Generating one type of carriers (either holes or electrons) in a

semiconductor we dope it.

Doping: The process of addition of impurities to a pure

semiconductor.

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Intrinsic semiconductor
Total conventional current =In+Ip

Electron flow

Hole flow

+ -

Battery

Figure 1

Conduction of current in an Intrinsic semiconductor

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• The electrons experience a force towards the positive
terminal of the battery and holes towards negative
terminal.

• The random motion does not contribute to any electric

current.

• The number of conduction electrons is equal to number

of holes.

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• At absolute zero temperature an intrinsic semiconductor
behaves as a perfect insulator.

• At room temperature, because of thermal energy some

electron-hole pairs are generated.

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EXTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTORS

• Doping the pure semiconductor we get extrinsic

semiconductor.

• Adding of impurity is to increase either holes or free

electrons in a semiconductor.

• For getting good conductivity, some suitable impurity or

doping agent is added.

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 EXTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR

N-TYPE Semiconductor P-TYPE Semiconductor

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N-type (Arsenic) Doped Silicon and Its Donor
Energy Band

Figure 2

Conducting band, Ec
Si Si Si
Extra
Ed ~ 0.05 eV
Electron
Si As Si Eg = 1.1 eV

Si Si - Si
Valence band, Ev

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N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR

Figure 3
FORMATION OF N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR

• Small amount of pentavalent impurity for example

phosphorus is added to a sample of intrinsic silicon.

• Each impurity atom is surrounded all around by silicon

atoms.

• The phosphorus atom has five valence electrons, four of

them form covalent bonds with four silicon atoms.

• The fifth electron has no chance of forming covalent

bond.

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• Due to temperature some covalent bonds break down.

• Conduction of current is due to all electrons which have

been donated by the impurity atoms.

• The number of free electrons are more than the number

of holes.

• Electrons are majority carriers and holes become

minority carriers

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Figure 4

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P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR

Figure 5

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FORMATION OF P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR

• Add small amount of trivalent impurity ex. Boron to pure

semiconductor.

• Three valence electrons of Boron atom form covalent

bonds with three surrounding silicon atoms one is left
incomplete and rise to hole.

• Boron which is called acceptor impurities causes as

many positive holes in a germanium crystal.

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• Number of holes is greater than electrons.

• Holes are the majority carriers and electrons become

minority carriers.

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Conduction in semiconductors

• Drift current :
Movement of charge carriers in a semiconductor takes
place under the influence of electric field.

• Diffusion current :
Movement of charge carriers in a semiconductor as a
result of nonuniform concentration gradient.

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Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic
semiconductors
INTRINSIC EXTRINSIC

• It is pure form. • Impure semiconductor.

• Number of electrons are • Number of electrons are

equal to number of holes. not equal to number of
holes.
• Poor conductivity.
• High conductivity.
• Fermi level lies exactly in
between valence band • Fermi level lies either
and conduction band. towards conduction or
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valence bands. 20
Distinguish between N-Type and P-Type
semiconductors
N-TYPE P-TYPE

• Pentavalent impurity is • Trivalent impurity is

added to pure added to pure
semiconductor. semiconductor.

• One electron excess. • One electron falls short.

• The doping agent is • The doping agent is

called donor. called acceptor.

• Large number of • Large number of holes

electrons are produced are produced by doping.
by doping.
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• Electrons majority • Holes majority carriers
carriers and holes and electrons minority
minority carriers. carriers.

• Current conduction by
• Current conduction by
electrons.
holes.
• Fermi level shift towards
conduction band. • Fermi level shifts towards
valence band.

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 Summary

We have discussed about

• Types of semiconductors formation of P and N type

semiconductors

• Comparison between intrinsic, extrinsic and P and N

type semiconductors.

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 QUIZ
1) In an N-type semiconductor the concentration
of minority carriers mainly depends up on

(a) The doping technique

(b) The number of donor atoms

(c) The temperature of the material

(a) The quality of the intrinsic material Ge or si

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2) Donor-type impurities

(a) create excess holes

(b) can be added to Germanium

but not silicon
(c) must have only three valence
electrons

(d) must have only five valence

electrons

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3) A semiconductor that is electrically neutral

(a) Has no majority carriers

(b) Has no free charges

(c) Has equal amount of positive and

negative charges

(d) Has no minority carriers

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1. Holes are the ________carriers
minority in N-type
majority
semiconductor and electrons are the _________
carriers.

Intrinsic
2. A pure germanium crystal is an _________
extrinsic
semiconductor and a doped crystal is an _________
semiconductor.

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 Frequently asked Questions

4. Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors.

2. Distinguish between P and N type semiconductors.

3. Explain briefly about p-type and n-type semiconductors.

4. Explain the terms drift and diffusion currents.

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