(a) What is an intrinsic semiconductor? (b) Distinguish between the p-type and n-type semi-conductors.
Question 1 Report
(a) What is an intrinsic semiconductor?
(b) Distinguish between the p-type and n-type semi-conductors.
Answer Details
(a) Intrinsic semiconductor
An intrinsic semiconductor is a pure semiconductor (such as pure silicon or germanium) with no added impurity, in which the number of free electrons equals the number of holes, both being produced only by thermal breaking of covalent bonds.
(b) p-type versus n-type semiconductors
| p-type | n-type |
|---|---|
| Formed by doping with a trivalent impurity (e.g. boron, aluminium). | Formed by doping with a pentavalent impurity (e.g. phosphorus, arsenic). |
| Majority charge carriers are holes (positive). | Majority charge carriers are free electrons (negative). |
| The impurity is called an acceptor. | The impurity is called a donor. |
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