Intrinsic

Semi-conductor
Materials

Introduction
Intrinsic semiconductors are
semiconductors which do not contain
impurities. They do contain electrons as
well as holes. The electron density
equals the hole density since the
thermal activation of an electron from
the valence band to the conduction band
yields a free electron in the conduction
band as well as a free hole in the
valence band.

Introduction
Intrinsic by definition means natural or
inherent, and intrinsic semiconductors
are the bulk properties of the
semiconductor material itself, not those
ofdopants or impurities. Silicon and
germanium are the two most commonly
used examples of intrinsic
semiconductors, as they are elemental
semiconductors andwere some of the
first widely studied and used
semiconductors.

Semiconductor Structure
The electronic structure of
semiconductors are the foundation of
their unique properties. The
mechanisms which make
semiconductors their own class of
material is based on the electrical
structure, which dictates the core
properties of semiconductors.

Semiconductor Structure
The most well known electric
conductors are metals. Metals are able
to carry an electric flow because of
their available free electrons that can
pass from one atom to the next. This
enables the electric flow (which is
merely composed of electrons flowing
across a substance) to travel through
the length of the metal.

Semiconductor Structure
Semiconductors work in a very
different manner. All intrinsic
semiconductors are group 14
elements, and thusly only have 4
valence P electrons available for
bonding in their outermost shell.
Because of these 4 electrons, group
14 elements like Silicon are able to
form crystal lattice structures
composed of countless atoms of that

Semiconductor Structure

Band Theory
Metals and semiconductors have a
unique property that separates them
from non-conductive insulators. In
metals and insulators, the difference
between energy orbitals are so small
that electrons can be excited from lower
energy orbitals to higher energy levels.
These small orbital energy differences
are referred to as bands.

Band Theory
Unlike the discrete energy levels that
you are taught about in beginning
chemistry, these bands are so close
together in energy that it takes a very
small amount of energy to promote
electrons to these higher band levels.
The higher energy level that the
valence electrons can be excited to is
referred to as the conduction band,
because the electrons in this band are
free to carry an electric current.

Band Theory

Hole Conduction
By definition, an electron hole is
the opposite of an electron. It
represents the lack of an electron
where an electron could potentially
be situated or previously was
situated in an otherwise full
electron shell. In this case,
electron holes result from electrons
leaving their place in the lattice
structure .

Hole Conduction
Once heat is put into the
semiconductor and electrons begin
continually crossing into the
conduction band, hole conduction
begins constantly moving electrons
across the semiconductor, adding
to the overall electron flow. This
increases the conductive ability of
the semiconductor, constantly
allowing new electrons to cross into
the conduction gap.

Hole Conduction
Electron holes have an important role
in increasing the conductive abilities
of semiconductors. Hole conduction
first requires an electron to
experience excitation in order to leave
its valence band to the conduction
band. Once the valence electron has
left, neighboring electrons are pulled
into the electron holes, filling existing
electron holes while creating new
neighboring ones.

Prepared By:

Glen mark Baguio

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