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INTRODUCTION OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS

CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID MATERIALS:-

CONDUCTOR INSULATOR SEMICONDUCTOR

CONDUCTORS:-

1. THOSE MATERIALS WHICH ARE GOOD CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY.

2. IT CONTAINS LARGE NUMBER OF MOBILE CHARGE CARRIERS OR FREE ELECTRONS WHICH CARRY
CURRENT.
3. IT HAS POSITIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE.
4. EX- COPPER, SILVER, ALLUMINIUM ETC.

INSULATORS :-
1. THOSE MATERIALS WHICH ARE BAD CONDUCTORS OF ELECTRICITY.
2. THEY HAVE HIGH RESISTIVITY.
3. THEY HAVE NO CHARGE CARRIERS OR FREE ELECTRONS TO CARRY ELECTRIC CURRENT.
4. EX- GLASS, QUARTZ, RUBBER, BAKELITE ETC.

SEMICONDUCTOR:-
1. THEY HAVE POOR CONDUCTIVITY THAN CONDUCTORS & HIGHER THAN INSULATORS.
2. SEMICONDUCTORS HAVE NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE.
3. THE CONDUCTIVITY OF A SEMICONDUCTOR CAN BE INCREASED BY ADDING SMALL AMOUNT OF
IMPURITY ATOMS.
4. EX- SILICON (Si), GERMANIUM (Ge)

ENERGY BAND IN SOLID:-

1. THE RANGE OF ENERGIES POSSESSES BY THE ELECTRONS OF THE SAME ORBIT IN A SOLID IS CALLED ENERGY
BAND.
2. THE ENERGY BAND WHICH POSSESSES THE VALENCE ELECTRONS IS CALLED VALENCE BAND.
3. THE ENERGY BAND WHICH POSSESSES THE FREE ELECTRONS IS CALLED CONDUCTION BAND. ELECTRONS IN
THIS BAND TAKE PART IN CONDUCTION.
FORBIDDEN ENERGY GAP:-

1. BETWEEN THE VALENCE BAND & THE CONDUCTION BAND THERE IS AN ENERGY GAP E G. THIS IS CALLED
FORBIDDEN ENERGY GAP.
2. AN ELECTRON CAN BE SENT FROM THE VALENCE BAND TO THE CONDUCTION BAND IF WE PROVIDE SOME
ENERGY TO THE SILICON. THIS ENERGY BE KEPT LARGER THAN THE ENERGY GAP E G.
3. IT IS A REGION IN WHICH NO ELECTRON CAN STAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO ALLOWED ENERGY STATE.
4. FORBIDDEN ENERGY GAP EG IS 1.12eV FOR SILICON & 0.72eV FOR GERMANIUM.

INSULATORS, CONDUCTORS & SEMICONDUCTORS ON THE BASIS OF ENERGY BAND DIAGRAM (BAND GAP):-

FIG-1 FIG-2 FIG-3

INSULATORS:-
1. THERE IS NO ELECTRON IN THE CONDUCTION BAND AND THE VALENCE BAND IS FILLED.
2. THERE IS A WIDE GAP BETWEEN VALENCE AND CONDUCTION BAND. IT IS GENERALLY 5eV OR MORE.
3. DUE TO THIS WIDE GAP, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR AN ELECTRON TO CROSS THE GAP TO GO FROM VALENCE BAND
TO CONDUCTION BAND. (FIG-1)

SEMICONDUCTOR:-
1. EG IS 0.72eV FOR Ge & 1.12eV FOR Si.
2. AT, 0K, THE SEMICONDUCTORS BEHAVE AS INSULATORS BECAUSE THERE IS NO FREE ELECTRON TO CONDUCT
TO THE CONDUCTION BAND.
3. AN ELECTRON CAN BE LIFTED FROM THE VALENCE BAND TO THE CONDUCTION BAND BY IMPARTING SOME
AMOUNT OF ENERGY, WHICH MUST BE MORE THAN EG.
4. AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, SEMICONDUCTORES ARE ABLE TO CONDUCT ELECTRICITY. (FIG-2)

CONDUCTORS:-
1. FORBIDDEN ENERGY GAP BETWEEN VALENCE & CONDUCTION BAND IS ZERO.
2. THE VALENCE & CONDUCTION BANDS OVERLAP EACH OTHER.
3. IT IS VERY EASY FOR A VALENCE BAND ELECTRON TO BECOME CONDUCTION BAND ELECTRON. (FIG-3)

QUES:- WHY SILICON IS MORE WIDELY USED SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL?

ANS:- VALENCE ELECTRONS IN Ge ARE IN THE IV SHELL WHILE THOSE IN SILICON ARE IN THE THIRD SHELL, i.e.,
CLOSER TO NUCLEOUS. HENCE, THE Ge VALENCE ELECTRONS WILL NEED SMALLER AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL
ENERGY TO ESCAPE FROM THE ATOM. SO, Ge PRODUCES MORE NUMBER OF ELECTRON HOLE PAIRS THAN
SILICON. HENCE, LEAKAGE CURRENT IS MORE IN Ge THAN THAT IN Si. THIS PROPERTY MAKES Ge MORE UNSTABLE
AT HIGH TEMPARATURES. SO Si IS MORE WIDELY USED THAN Ge.
 SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR EXTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR

INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR:- 1. A SEMICONDUCTOR IN EXTREMELY PURE FORM IS KNOWN AS

INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR.

2. AT 0K, ALL VALENCE ELECTRONS ARE TIGHTLY HELD BY PARENT

ATOMS AND BY COVALENT BONDS WITH OTHER ATOMS. HENCE
ELECTRONS CAN NOT MOVE THROUGH THE CYSTAL STRUCTURE. HENCE
INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR BEHAVES AS INSULATOR AT 0K.

THERMAL GENERATION OF ELECTRON-HOLE PAIRS:-

A. AT ABSOLUTE ZERO, AN INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR BEHAVES AS A PERFECT INSULATOR.

B. IF THE TEMPERATURE IS INCREASED UPTO ROOM TEMPERATURE (300K), SOME COVALENT BONDS BREAK.
C. WHEN AN ELECTRON BREAKS A COVALENT BOND AND BECOMES FREE, A VACANCY IS ALSO PRODUCED.
THIS VACANCY IS KNOWN AS A HOLE.
D. WHEN A FREE ELECTRON IS PRODUCED, A HOLE IS ALSO PRODUCED. THIS MEANS THAT ELETRONS &
HOLES ARE PRODUCED IN PAIRS.
E. THIS TYPE OF SIMULTANOUS GENERATION OF ELECTRONS & HOLES DUE TO TEMPERATURE IS ALSO
CALLED THERMAL GENERATION.
F. THE ENERGY REQUIRED TO BREAK A COVALENT BOND IS 0.72eV FOR Si & 1012eV FOR Ge.
G. WHENEVER AN ELECTRON-HOLE PAIR GENERATES, THE HOLE REMAINS IN THE VALENCE BAND &
ELECTRON LIFTS TO THE CONDUCTION BAND TO TAKE PART IN CONDUCTION OF CURRENT.

RECOMBINATION:-
A. THERMALLY GENERATED ELECTRONS AND HOLES MOVE FREELY THROUGHOUT THE CRYSTAL.
B. DUE TO THIS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF COLLISION BETWEEN ELECTRONS & HOLES.
C. AFTER COLLISION, ELECTRON TAKES POSITION OF HOLE & BOTH F THEM DISAPPEAR. THIS PROCESS IS
CALLED RECOMBINATION.
D. ENERGY IS RELEASED AS A QUANTUM HEAT OR LIGHT. THIS IS ABSORBED BY ANOTHER ELECTRON TO
BREAKAWAY ROM ITS COVALENT BOND AND CREATES A NEW ELECTRON-HOLE PAIR.