SEMI CONDUCTOR
SEMI CONDUCTOR
1. ENERGY BANDS IN SOLIDS
In case of a single isolated atom, there are single energy levels in
case of solids, the atoms is arranged in a systematic space lattice
and hence the atom is greatly influenced by neighbouring atoms.
The closeness of atoms results in the intermixing of electrons of
neighbouring atoms of course, for the valence electrons in the
outermost shells which are not strongly bounded by nucleus.
Due to intermixing the number of permissible energy levels
increases or there are significant changes in the energy levels.
Hence in case of a solid, instead of single energy levels associated
with the single atom, there will be bands of energy levels.
1.1 Valence Band, Conduction Band & Forbidden Energy Gap
The band formed by a series of energy levels containing the
valence electrons is known as valence band. The valency band
may be defined as a band which is occupied by the valence
electrons or a band having highest occupied band energy.
The conduction band may also be defined as the lowest unfilled
energy band. The separation between conduction band and
valence band is known as forbidden energy gap. There is no
allowed energy state in this gap and hence no electron can stay
in the forbidden energy gap.
1.2 Insulators, Semiconductors and Conductors
On the basis of forbidden band, the insulators, semiconductors
and conductors are described as follows:
1.2.1 Insulators
In case of insulators, the forbidden energy band is very wide.
Due to this fact electrons cannot jump from valence band to
conduction band. In insulators the valence electrons are bond
very tightly to their parent atoms. Increase in temperature enables
some electrons to go to the conduction band.
1.2.2 Semiconductors
In semiconductors, the forbidden band is very small. Germanium
and silicon are the examples of semiconductors. A semiconductor
material is one whose electrical properties lies between insulators
and good conductors. When a small amount of energy is
supplied, the electrons can easily jump from valence band to
conduction band. For example when the temperature is increased
the forbidden band is decreased so that some electrons are
liberated into the conduction band.
12..3 Conductors
In case of conductors, there is no forbidden band and the valence
band and conduction band overlap each other. Here plenty of free
electrons are available for electric conduction. A slight potential
difference across the conductor cause the free electrons to constitute
electric current. The most important point in conductors is that due
to the absence of forbidden band, there is no structure to establish
holes. The total current in conductors is simply a flow of electrons.
2. SEMICONDUCTORS
Thus a substance which has resistively in between conductors
and insulators is known as semiconductor.
Semiconductors have the following properties.
(i) They have resistively less than insulators and more than
conductors.
(ii) The resistance of semiconductor decreases with the
increase in temperature and vice versa.
(iii) When suitable metallic impurity like arsenic, gallium etc.
is added to a semiconductors, its current conducting
properties change appreciably.
2.1 Effect of temperatue of Semiconductors
At very low temperature (say 0 K) the semiconductor crystal
behaves as a perfect insulator since the covalent bonds are very
strong and no free electrons are available. At room temperature some
of the covalent bonds are broken due to the thermal energy supplied
to the crystal. Due to the breaking of the bonds, some electrons
become free which were engaged in the formation of these bonds.
The absence of the electron in the covalent bond is represented
by a small circle. This empty place or vacancy left behind in the
crystal structure is called a hole. Since an electron unit negative
charge, the hole carries a unit positive charge.
2.2 Mechanism of conduction of Electrons and Holes
When the electrons are liberated on breaking the covalent bonds,
they move randomly through the crystal lattice.
When an electric field is applied, these free electrons have a
steady drift opposite to the direction of applied field. This
constitute the electric current. When a covalent bond is broken,
a hole is created. For one electron set free, one hole is created.
This thermal energy creates electron-hole pairs-there being as
many holes as free electrons. These holes move through the
crystal lattice in a random fashion like liberated electrons. When
an external electric field is applied, the holes drift in the direction
of applied field. Thus they constitute electric current.
There is a strong tendency of semiconductor crystal to form a
covalent bonds. Therefore, a hole attracts an electron from the
neighbouring atom. Now a valence electron from nearby covalent
bond comes to fill in the hole at A. This results in a creation of
hole at B. The hole has thus effectively shift from A to B. This
hole move from B to C from C to D and so on.
This movement of the hole in the absence of an applied field is
random. But when an electric field is applied, the hole drifts
along the applied field.
2.3 Carrier Generation and Recombination
The electrons and holes are generated in pairs. The free electrons
and holes move randomly within the crystal lattice. In such a
random motion, there is always a possibility that a free electron
may have an encounter with a hole. When a free electron meets
a hole, they recombine to re-establish the covalent bond. In the
process of recombination, both the free electron and hole are
destroyed and results in the release of energy in the form of heat.
The energy so released, may in turn be re-absorbed by another
electron to break its covalent bond. In this way a new electrol-
hole pair is created.
T hus the process of breaking of covalent bonds and
recombination of electrons and holes take place simultaneously.
When the temperature is increased, the rate of generation of
electrons and holes increases. This is turn increases, the densities
of electrons and hole increases. As a result, the conductivity of
semiconductor increases or resistivity decreases. This is the
reason that semiconductors have negative temperature coefficient
of resistance.
2.4 Pure or Intrinsic Semiconductor and
Impurity or Extrinsic Semiconductors
A semiconductor in an extremely pure from is known as intrinsic
semiconductor or a semiconductor in which electrons and holes
are solely created by thermal excitation is called a pure or intrinsic
semiconductor. In intrinsic semiconductor the number of free
electrons is always equal to the number of holes.
2.4.1 Extrinsic Semiconductors
The electrical conductivity of intrinsic semiconductor can be
increased by adding some impurity in the process of
crystallization. The added impurity is very small of the order of
one atom per million atoms of the pure semiconductor. Such
semiconductor is called impurity or extrinsic semiconductor. The
process of adding impurity to a semiconductor is known as doping.
The doping material is either pentavalent atoms (bismuth,
antimony, arsenic, phosphorus which have five valence
electrons) or trivalent atoms (gallium, indium, aluminium, boron
which have three valence electrons). The pentavalent doping
atom is known as donor atom because it donates one electron to
the conduction band of pure semiconductor.
The doping materials are called impurities because they alter the
structure of pure semiconductor crystals.
2.4.2 N–Type Extrinsic Semiconductor
When a small amount of pentavalent impurity is added to a pure
semiconductor crystal during the crystal growth, the resulting
crystal is called as N-type extrinsic semiconductor.
In case of N-type semiconductor, the following points should be
remembered
(i) In N-type semiconductor, the electrons are the majority
carriers while positive holes are minority carriers.
(ii) Although N-type semiconductor has excess of electrons
but it is electrically neutral. This is due to the fact that
electrons are created by the addition of neutral pentavalent
impurity atoms to the semiconductor i.e., there is no
addition of either negative changes or positive charges.
2.4.3 P–Type Extrinsic Semiconductor
When a small amount of trivalent impurity is added to a pure
crystal during the crystal growth, the resulting crystal is called a
P-type extrinsic semiconductor.
In case of P-type semiconductor, the following points should be
remembered
(i) In P-type semiconductor materials, the majority carriers
are positive holes while minority carriers are the electrons.
(ii) The P–type semiconductor remains electrically neutral
as the number of mobile holes under all conditions remains
equal to the number of acceptors.
2.5 P–N Junction Diode
When a P-type material is intimately joined to N-type, a P-N
junction is formed. In fact, merely-joining the two pieces a P-N
junction cannot be formed because the surface films and other
irregularities produce major discontinuity in the crystal structure.
Therefore a P-N junction is formed from a piece of semiconductor
(say germanium) by diffusing P-type material to one half side
and N-type material to other half [Link] P-type crystal is
placed in contact with N-type crystal so as to form one piece, the
assembly so obtained is called P-N junction diode.
2.5.1 Forward Bias
When external d.c. source is connected to the diode with p–section
connected to +ve pole and n–section connected to –e pole, the
junction diode is said to be reverse biased.
2.5.2 Reverse Bias
When an external d.c. battery is connected to junction diode with
P–section connected to –ve pole and n–section connected to
+ve pole, the junction diode is said to be reverse biased.
P–N JUNCTION is such a device (any way) which offers
low resistance when forward biased and behaves like an
insulator when reverse biased.
Symbol :
2.6 Junction Diode as Rectifier
An electronic device which converts a.c. power into d.c. power
is called a rectifier.
2.6.1 Principle
Junction diode offers low resistive path when forward biased
and high resistance when reverse biased.
2.6.2 Arrangement
The a.c. supply is fed across the primary coil (P) of step down
transformer. The secondary coil ‘S’ of transformer is connected
to the junction diode and load resistance RL. The output d.c.
voltage is obtained across RL.
2.6.3 Theory
Suppose that during first half of a.c. input cycle the junction
diode get forward biased. The conventional current will flow in
the direction of arrow heats.
The upper end of RL will be at +ve potential w.r.t. the lower end.
The magnitude of output across RL during first half at any instant
will be proportional to magnitude of current through RL, which in
turn is proportional to magnitude of forward bias and which
ultimately depends upon the value of a.c. input at that time.
Thus output across RL will vary in accordance with a.c. input.
During second half, junction diode get reverse biased and hence
no–output will be obtained. Thus a discontinuous supply is
obtained.
2.7 Full Wave Rectifier
A rectifier which rectifies both halves of a.c. input is called full
wave rectifier.
2.7.1 Principle
Junction Diode offers low resistive path when forward biased
and high resistive path when reverse biased.
2.7.2 Arrangement
The a.c. supply is fed across the primary coil (P) of step down
transformer. The two ends of S–coil (secondary) of transformer
are connected to P-section of junction diodes D1 and D2. A load
resistance RL is connected across the n–sections of two diodes
and central tapping of secondary coil. The d.c. output is obtained
across secondary.
2.7.3 Theory
Suppose that during first half of input cycle upper end of s-coil is
at +ve potential. The junction diode D1 gets forward biased,
while D2 gets reverse biased. The conventional current due to
D1 will flow along path of full arrows.
When second half of input cycle comes, the conditions will be
exactly reversed. Now the junction diode D2 will conduct and
the convensional current will flow along path of dotted arrows.
Since current during both the half cycles flows from right to left
through load resistance RL, the output during both the half cycles
will be of same nature.
The right end of RL is at +ve potential w.r.t. left end. Thus in full
wave rectifier, the output is continuous.
