A p- type semiconductor can be obtained by addinga)gallium to pure sil...
Explanation:In P-type doping, boron or gallium is the dopant. Boron and gallium each have only three outer electrons. When mixed into the silicon lattice, they form "holes" in the lattice where a silicon electron has nothing to bond to. The absence of an electron creates the effect of a positive charge, hence the name P-type.Holes can conduct current. A hole happily accepts an electron from a neighbor, moving the hole over a space. P-type silicon is a good conductor.
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A p- type semiconductor can be obtained by addinga)gallium to pure sil...
Understanding P-Type Semiconductors
P-type semiconductors are created by introducing certain impurities into intrinsic (pure) semiconductors. The type of impurity added determines the conductivity type of the semiconductor.
What is P-Type Semiconductor?
- A p-type semiconductor is characterized by an abundance of "holes" or positive charge carriers.
- These holes are created when trivalent impurities (elements with three valence electrons) are introduced into a pure semiconductor.
Why Gallium in Silicon?
- Gallium (Ga) is a trivalent element. When added to pure silicon, which has four valence electrons, gallium forms bonds with silicon atoms.
- Hole Creation: Gallium contributes only three electrons for bonding, leaving one silicon atom without a complete bond, creating a "hole."
- Majority Carriers: These holes act as positive charge carriers, making the semiconductor p-type.
Comparison with Other Options
- Phosphorus in Germanium: Phosphorus is a pentavalent element that adds extra electrons, leading to n-type conductivity, not p-type.
- Arsenic in Silicon: Similar to phosphorus, arsenic is also pentavalent, resulting in n-type conductivity.
- Antimony in Germanium: Antimony is another pentavalent element, which also leads to n-type conductivity.
Conclusion
- By understanding the role of impurities, we see that adding gallium to pure silicon effectively creates a p-type semiconductor. This process is crucial for various electronic applications, including diodes and transistors.