Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics

Semiconductor
One Shot
Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics

Semiconductor
Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics

 In crystalline solids, the atoms or Solids  In amorphous solids, the atoms or

molecules are arranged in regular molecules are arranged in irregular
periodic geometrical pattern over a pattern.
long range.

Crystalline
solid  Rubber, glass, plastic, sulphur etc. are
the examples of amorphous solids.
 Sugar, quartz, mica, calcite, sodium
chloride, diamond etc. are the examples
of crystalline solids. Amorphous
solid
 Crystalline solids are anisotropic
 Amorphous solids are isotropic.
 (Based on electrical properties)
1. Conductors:  The substances which easily allow the electric current
through them are called conductors.
Ex : Au, Ag, Cu, Al and all metals.
Properties: i)Electrical conductivity() is high.
(  102 to 108 Sm-1 )
ii) Electrical resistivity () is low (=1/   10-2
to 10-8 m )
iii) Temperature coefficient of resistance (α) is positive
2. Insulators:  The substances which do not allow the electric
current through them are called insulators.
Ex : rubber, plastic, wood, glass etc.
Properties: i) Electrical conductivity () is low.
(  10-11 to 10-19 Sm-1 )
ii) Electrical resistivity() is high
(  1011 to 1019 m ).

iii) Temperature coefficient of resistance (α) is

negative.
3. Semiconductors  The substances whose electrical properties lie
between conductors and insulators are called
semiconductors.
Ex : Germanium [Ge](Z=32) , Silicon[Si](Z=14).

Properties:  Electrical conductivity () is higher than that of insulators

but lower than that of conductors.
cond > sc >ins

(  105 to 10-6 Sm-1 )

 Electrical resistivity() is higher than that of conductors but lower than that of
insulators.
 ins >  sc >  cond

(  10-5 to 106 m )
 Temperature coefficient of resistivity (α) is negative.
conductivity

temperature
Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics
There are well defined
discrete energy levels of
electrons in an isolated
atom.
3S 2s
+ 2p
2P 3s
1s
2S
3p
1S

Energy levels
for isolated
atom
Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics
 Due to this interatomic interaction there is no
appreciable modification in the energy levels of
electrons in the inner shell but there is a
considerable modification in the case of outer shell
electrons.

Conduction band

Eg
2P
2S Valence bond
1S

Energy levels for atoms in solid.

Class 12 | PHYSICS | Semiconductor One Shot Physics

Let us discuss in detail

by considering
interatomic distance in
the X-axis and energy in
the Y-axis:
The graph is divided
into four regions A,
B,C,D
REGION A • The number of electrons in both cases is
4 – namely 2s and 2p. Hence, the outer
electrons in the crystal is 4

• The maximum possible number of outer

electrons in the orbit is 8 (2s + 6p
electrons)
• This is the case of well separated or
isolated atoms as shown in region A.
 • Suppose the atoms start coming
REGION B nearer to each other to form a solid.
• The energies of the electrons in the
outermost orbit may increase or
decrease, due to the interaction
between electrons of different atoms
• The 6N states for l=1, which
originally had identical energies in
the isolated atoms, spread out and
form an energy band as shown in the
region B
• Similarly, the 2N states for l = 0 split
into a second band separated from
the first one
REGION C • At still smaller spacing,
however, there comes a region
in which the bands merge with
each other.
• The lowest energy state that is
a split from the upper atomic
level appears to drop below
the upper state that has come
from the lower atomic level
• In this region, no energy gap
exists where the upper and the
lower energy states gets mixed
REGION D • If the distance between the atom further
decreases, the energy bands again split
apart and are separated by an energy
gap Eg
• The total number of available energy
states 8N has been re-apportioned
between the two bands (4N states each in
the lower and upper energy bands)
• Here there are exactly as many states in
the lower band (4N) as there are
available valence electrons from the
atoms (4N)
 • This lower band called the valence band is
completely filled while the upper band is
completely empty. The upper band is called the
conduction band

 The energy band which includes the

energy levels of the valence
electrons is called the valence band.

 The energy band above the valence

band is called the conduction band.
With no external energy, all the
valence electrons will reside in the
valence band.
S.N Conductors Insulators Semi Conductors
O
1 V.B & CB overlap V.B is filled with V.B is completely filled
valence electrons C.B is completely
C.B is almost empty empty

2
g
𝑬𝒈 = 𝟎
𝒈 g

3 Forbidden energy gap Forbidden energy gap Forbidden energy gap

Eg=O eV Eg > 3eV Eg < 3eV
(Eg = 0.72eV for Ge)
(Eg = 1.1eV for Si)
4 Ex: All metals Ex : Wood, glass etc Ex: Ge, Si
Class 12 PHYSICS | Modern Physics One Shot Marathon

TYPES OF
A pure semi conductor which is free of
SEMICONDUCTORS
impurity is called intrinsic semi
conductor (ISC)

1)Intrinsic
Semiconductor (ISC)
p-type

A pure semiconductor with

2)Extrinsic suitable impurity is called
Semiconductor (ESC) extrinsic semiconductor (ESC)

n-type
 1)Intrinsic
Semiconductor (ISC)

Ge Ge Ge Ge Valence electron

Ge Ge Ge Ge
Covalent bond
Ge Ge Ge Ge

Ge Ge Ge Ge
1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p2
 In this semiconductor, the
average energy of electrons in
CB is equal to the average
energy of holes in VB.
 Fermi Energy:
 The average of energies of holes
in the VB and electrons in the
CB is called “Fermi Energy”

OR

The highest energy that an electron

can have at 0 Kelvin is called
‘Fermi energy’.
P-Type:

 Each impurity atom has three valence

electrons and these electrons form three
covalent bonds with the neighbouring
Si or Ge atoms.

 The fourth covalent bond is incomplete

or empty, an additional hole (absence of
electron) is created.
 The relation among the
electron density (ne), hole
density (nh) and the density of
It is electrically intrinsic charge carriers (ni)
neutral. is,

ne nh = ni2
At room temperature, the
electrons in the valence band
can easily be transferred to
the acceptor level. This
produces a large number of
holes in the valence band.
 n-TYPE SEMICONDUCTORS:

 When a pentavalent impurity (donar

impurity or V group elements) like P, As,
Sb, Bi etc. are added in sufficient
quantities to the pure form of Si or Ge
crystal, resulting crystal is called n-type
semiconductors.
Very small energy supplied
can excite the electron from
the donor level to the
conduction band, hence,
conductivity of
semiconductor becomes
remarkably improved
Conductivity of n-type > p-type
> intrinsic semi conductors.
Question) An intrinsic semi
conductor has 1018 /m3 free
electron and is doped with
pentavelant impurity of 1024 /m3 .
Then the free electrons density
order increase by .....

1) 4 2) 3
3) 5 4) 6
 Drift current Vs Diffusion current
The drift current is in a direction opposite to that of the diffusion current

At a particular stage, the drift current becomes equal to the diffusion current

This stage is set to be equilibrium state when no current flows across the p-n
junction

Potential barrier becomes maximum and is equal to VB

Thus, a p-n junction is formed.

In a p-n junction under equilibrium there is no net current.

 In the beginning diffusion current is
large but drift current is small. As
diffusion process continues, the space
charge region (order of one-tenth of
micrometer) across the junction extend.
As a result of it the strength of electric
field across the junction increases and
thereby drift current decreases.
1
• The nature of
semiconductor

2 • Doping
concentration
3
• Temperature of the
junction
 Potential Barrier
• Potential distribution near the junction
acts as a barrier, hence it is known as
potential barrier.

• At room temperature VB=0.3V for Ge

and VB=0.7V for Si.

• Due to presence of potential barrier VB

across the junction, an electron from
n-region requires the energy eVB to
cross the junction , and same amount
of energy is required to move a hole
from p-region to n-region across p-n
junction.  The thickness of the depletion layer is of the
order of 10-6m (1 micron).
P-n Junction Diode Biasing

Forward Bias Reverse Bias

p n p n

+V - - +
V
Forward Bias

 If V is the applied voltage and VB is

the barrier potential then the net
potential in forward bias (FB) is
(VB - V)

As electrons reach the p-side and

electrons are minority carriers in
p-region, the forward bias is also
known as minority carrier
injection.
Forward Bias
 REVERSE BIAS:

p-type n-type

If V is the applied voltage and

A ‘VB‘ is the barrier potential
then the net potential in reverse
- +
V p n bias (RB) is (VB + V).

- +
V
Reverse Bias
 I p n
R VB

+ E-

For an ordinary diode

E−V𝐁
I=
R+rf
Where VB  Barrier potential
R  External resistance
rf  forward bias resistance of diode
i) Power developed across the diode = VB I

ii) Power developed across the resistor

= (E - VB)I
v) In RB, the minimum KE required by a
hole to diffuse from p to n side is
iii) The minimum KE required by a hole to KEmin = e(VB +V)
diffuse from p-side to n-side is
KEmin = eVB .

iv) In FB, the minimum KE required by a

hole to diffuse from p to n side is KEmin
= e (VB - V)
Question. The value of R in the given if
the maximum value of forward
current of the diode is 100mA when
diode is.....
a) Ge (Knee voltage= 0.3V)
b) Si (Barrier potential = 0.7V)
100mA R=?

1) 8, 12
2) 12, 8
+ -
3) 15, 15
1.5V
4) 12, 12
Question. Two similar p-n junction can be
connected in three different ways as
shown in the figure. The two
connections across which the potential
difference is same are.......
b)

a)

c)

1) circuit a and b 2) circuit b and c

3) circuit a and c 4) all the circuits

This voltage is called the
threshold voltage or cut-in
voltage or knee-voltage which is
0.3V for germanium diode and
0.7 for silicon diode
Question) In a silicon diode, the
forward current changes by
2.5mA when the voltage changes
from 0.08 to 0.09 V, then the
forward dynamic ac resistance of
the diode is .......

1) 4Ω 2) 0.25 Ω
3) 2.5 Ω 4) 8.5 Ω
 JUNCTION DIODE AS
RECTIFIER:

Half wave rectifier Full wave rectifier

(HWR) (FWR)

Working Principle The resistance of a p-n

Of Rectifier junction becomes low when
forward biased and becomes
high when reverse biased.
Half wave rectifier
(HWR)

 Efficiency

() =

RL
=
f RL

 max = 40.6% for an ideal

diode.
 Output voltage
is still varying
(PULSATING DC)
but is restricted to
one direction and is
said to be rectified.
A full wave rectifier with
capacitor filter
• Ripple factor of a rectifier =

• Ripple factor for half wave

rectifier is 1.21
• Ripple factor for full wave
rectifier is 0.48