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1.1 Seconductors. Insulators. Metals
1.1 Seconductors. Insulators. Metals
fundamentals
1.1 Semiconductors, Insulators,
Metals
Bohr model of the atom
• The atom has three basic particles: the protons and
neutrons that form the nucleus and electrons;
• Shells from K to Q containing 2(n2) electrons.
Q
…
L
K
Valence shell
• The outermost shell for an atom;
• Is determines the conductivity of the atom;
• Can contains up to eight electrons;
• An atom with a single valence electron is nearly a
perfect conductor;
• An atom with eight valence electrons (complete
valence band) is an insulator;
• An atom with four valence electrons is a
semiconductor.
Band structure
• Band – another name for an orbital shell;
• For a solid, the interaction of all atoms splitting and
merging of energy levels into energy bands. Each energy
band is composed of a finite number of energy levels;
• The energy bands are separated by band gaps, or
forbidden energy levels;
• If all the energy levels within an energy band is filled
then no additional electrons can take on those energy
values.
Insulator vs Conductor
• Insulators ‐ solids where all the energy bands are
either completely filled or completely empty at all
temperatures ‐ no electrons can move in an electric
field;
• Conductors – solids that always have a partially filled
energy band, between 10 and 90 percent. When
electrons gain kinetic energy, through increased
temperature or the presence of an electric field, the
electron occupies a higher allowed energy within the
same band.
Insulator vs Conductor (cont’)
Semiconductors (cont’)
Semiconductors
• Semiconductors have completely filled or empty
energy bands at low temperatures;
• Semiconductors have partially filled energy bands
when they are heated.
0
Conduction Band
EC
Band gap
EG
(forbidden energy levels)
EV
Valence Band
Semiconductors (cont’)
• Band (energy) gap – the space between any two
orbital shells (bands);
• eV – the energy absorbed by an electron when it is
subject to a 1 V difference of potential;
• Conduction band – the band outside the valence
band;
• For an electron to “jump” from the valence band to
the conduction band, it must absorb enough energy
to make up the difference between its initial energy
level and the one of the band it is jumping.
Covalent bonding
• A method by which atoms complete their valence
bands by “sharing” valence electrons with other
atoms;
• The results of covalent bonding are as follows:
– The atoms are held together, forming a solid;
– The atoms are all electrically stable as they have their
valence bands completed;
– The complete valence bands cause the silicon to act as an
insulator – the pure (intrinsic) silicon is very poor
conductor.
Covalent bonding (cont’)
Si
SiSi
Si
Si
Si