Semiconductors
Chapter 2
Topics Covered in Chapter 2
• Conductors • The Unbiased
• Semiconductors Diode
• Silicon Crystals • Forward Bias
• Doping a • Reverse Bias
Semiconductor • Breakdown
• Two Types of • Barrier Potential
Semiconductors and Temperature
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Conductors
• Material that allows current to easily flow.
• Examples:
– Copper
– Silver
– Gold
• 1 Valence electron.
Conductors
• The Atom is the basic building block of all
matter.
• Comprised of:
– Nucleus
• Protons
• Neutrons
– Electrons
Core
• Comprised of the nucleus and inner orbits.
• The valence or outer orbit controls the
electrical properties.
• The attraction between the core and
valence electron is weak.
• An outside force easily dislodges a
valence electron from an atom.
Conductors
• Copper Atom
Conductors
Valence Electrons
Semiconductors
• Silicon
• Germanium
• 4 electrons in the outer shell
Core Diagrams
Copper Silicon
1 valence electron 4 valence electrons
Silicon Crystals
• Thermal energy creates free electrons and
holes.
• Recombination – free electrons falling into
available holes.
• Recombination takes place every few
nanoseconds to several microseconds.
• The time between creation and
recombination of a free electron and a hole is
called the lifetime.
Types of Semiconductors
• Intrinsic Semiconductor
– Pure semiconductor, i.e., no dopant.
• Extrinsic Semiconductor
– A dopant (impurity) has been added to the
silicon.
Pentavalent Dopant
• N Type
• Minority carrier are the holes.
Trivalent Dopant
• P Type
• Minority carrier are the electrons.
The Unbiased Diode
P Type N Type
_ _ _
+ + +_ + _ __
+ + _ +_ _ _
+ + + +
Depletion Layer
Electrons migrate across the junction and fill
the holes creating a “barrier” to electron
movement.
The Unbiased Diode
P Type N Type
_ _ _
+ + +_ + _ __
+ + _ +_ _ _
+ + + +
Barrier Potential = +0.7 V
The amount of “push” required to move an
electron (current flow) across the barrier is
+0.7V.
Forward Bias
P Type N Type
+ + _ _
_ _
+ + _ _
+ +
Depletion Layer
If the applied voltage exceeds the barrier
potential (0.7V), the diode will conduct current.
Reverse Bias
P Type N Type
+ + _ _
_ _
+ + _ _
+ +
Depletion Layer
The applied voltage causes the depletion layer
to expand, no current flows across the barrier.
Recap of the PN Junction
• At 25 ⁰C, the barrier potential for a silicon
PN junction is approximately 0.7 volts.
• If the PN junction is forward biased at
greater than 0.7V, it will conduct current.
• If the PN junction is reversed biased, it will
not conduct current unless the diode goes
into “breakdown.”
Recap of the PN Junction
• Electron diffusion creates ion pairs called
dipoles.
• Each dipole has an associated electric
field.
Breakdown
• If reverse biased with enough voltage, a
diode will conduct.
• Typical breakdown ratings range from 50
volts to 1000 volts.
Idiode
Vdiode
Barrier Potential and Temperature
• When a diode is conducting, the
temperature at its PN junction is higher
than the ambient air.
• As the junction temperature rises, the
barrier potential decreases by 2 mV for
each degree Celsius rise.
Barrier Potential and Temperature
• At 25°C, the Barrier Potential is 0.7V.
• Determine the Barrier Potential if the
ambient air around the diode increased to
30°C. V 2mV
diode Barrier Potential T C x
C
2mV
Vdiode 0.7V 5C x
C
Vdiode 0.7V 10 mV
Vdiode 0.69V
