Basic Knowledge of

Discrete Semiconductor Device

Chapter I
Basis of Semiconductors

September 2018
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation

© 2018 Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation

 What is a Semiconductor?
A “semiconductor" is a substance with characteristics intermediate between those of a
"conductor" that conducts electricity like metal and an "insulator" through which
electricity hardly flows. The ease with which electricity flows is related to the magnitude
of the substance’s electrical resistance. If the electrical resistance is high, the current
hardly flows, and if the electrical resistance is low, the electric current flows easily.

When electrical conductivity is expressed by resistivity, semiconductors are distributed in

the range of 10-4 to 108 Ωcm, whereas conductors are 10-8 to 10-4 Ωcm and insulators are
108 to 1018 Ωcm.
10-10 Electrical Resistivity: Ωcm 1018
Low Resistance High
Conductor Semiconductor Insulator

Gold Silicon Glass

Silver Germanium Rubber
Copper Selenium Oil
Iron GaAs Plastic
Aluminum etc. Diamond
etc. etc.

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 Semiconductor Materials
Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are well-known semiconductor materials. When they
are pure crystals, these substances are close to insulators (intrinsic semiconductors),
but doping a small amount of dopant causes the electrical resistance to drop greatly,
turning them into conductors.
Depending on the kind of dopant, n-type or p-type semiconductor can be made.
Semiconductors made of several elements are called compound semiconductors, as
opposed to those made of a single element such as silicon semiconductors. There are
combinations such as Group III and Group V of the periodic table, Group II and Group
VI, Group IV, etc.
Group II Group III Group IV Group V Group VI
*Doping phosphorus (P) of Group V into silicon (Si) of Group
IV makes n-type semiconductor. Be B C N O
Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen
*Doping boron (B) of Group III into silicon (Si) of Group IV
makes p-type semiconductor. Mg Al Si P S
Magnesium Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur
Element(s) Material
Single Si, Ge Zn Ga Ge As Se
Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium

Compound Group II-VI ZnSe CdTe Cd In Sn Sb Te

Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium
Group III-V GaAs InGaN InP
Hg Tl Pb Bi Po
Group IV-IV SiC Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium

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 n-type Semiconductor
What is an n-type Semiconductor?
An n-type semiconductor is an intrinsic semiconductor doped with phosphorus (P),
arsenic (As), or antimony (Sb) as an impurity. Silicon of Group IV has four valence
electrons and phosphorus of Group V has five valence electrons.
If a small amount of phosphorus is added to a pure silicon crystal, one of the valence
electrons of phosphorus becomes free to move around (free electron*) as a surplus
electron. When this free electron is attracted to the “+” electrode and moves, current
flows.

Silicon (Si):
four valence
electrons Adding phosphorus to
pure silicon crystal
results in a surplus
electron. And it becomes
Phosphorus: (B) a free electron.
five valence
electrons

* This free electron is the carrier of an n-type semiconductor. Free electron

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 p-type Semiconductor
What is a p-type Semiconductor?
A p-type semiconductor is an intrinsic semiconductor doped with boron (B) or indium (In).
Silicon of Group IV has four valence electrons and boron of Group III has three valence
electrons. If a small amount of boron is doped to a single crystal of silicon, valence
electrons will be insufficient at one position to bond silicon and boron, resulting in holes*
that lack electrons. When a voltage is applied in this state, the neighboring electrons move
to the hole, so that the place where an electron is present becomes a new hole, and the
holes appear to move to the "–" electrode in sequence.

Silicon (Si):
Four valence
electrons Adding boron to
pure silicon crystal
results in lack of an
electron. And it
becomes a hole.

Boron (B):
Three valence
electrons

Hole
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 What is a Compound Semiconductor?
Apart from silicon, there are compound semiconductors that combine Group III and V
elements and Group II and VI elements. For example, GaAs, InP, InGaAlP, etc. have been
conventionally used for high-frequency devices and optical devices.
In recent years, InGaN has been attracting attention as a material for blue LEDs and
laser diodes, and SiC and GaN as materials for power semiconductors have been noted
and commercialized.

Typical compound semiconductors

Group II-VI: ZnSe Group III-V: GaAs, GaN, InP, InGaAlP, InGaN Group IV-IV: SiC, SiGe

【Example of GaAs】

Gallium: More gallium than arsenic

three valence makes
p-type semiconductor.
electrons

Arsenic: More arsenic than gallium

five valence makes
electrons n-type semiconductor.

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 What is a pn Junction?
The contact surface between a p-type and an n-type semiconductor is called a PN junction.
When p-type and n-type semiconductors are bonded, holes and free electrons, which are
carriers, are attracted and bound and disappear near the boundary. Since there are no
carriers in this area, it is called a depletion layer and it is in the same state as an insulator.
In this state, connecting the “+” pole to the p-type region, connecting the “-” pole to the n-
type region and applying a voltage cause electrons to flow sequentially from the n-type to
the p-type region. The electrons will first disappear by combining with holes, but excess
electrons move to the “+” pole and current will flow.
p-type n-type

Applying voltage by connecting p-type to

"+" and n-type to "-" enables current to flow.

Hole

When p-type and n-type

Electron
Current + -
come into contact pn junction
p-type n-type

Electron

Depletion layer is made near the junction. Depletion layer becomes narrower.
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 Types of Semiconductor Devices
Electronic parts using semiconductors are called semiconductor devices.
Many kinds of semiconductor devices have been developed in line with the expansion of
application fields and the progress of electronic equipment. “Discrete semiconductors” are
single devices with a single function, such as transistors and diodes. “Integrated circuits (ICs)”
are devices with multiple functional elements mounted on one chip. Typical ICs include
memories, microprocessors (MPUs), and logic ICs. LSIs raised the degree of integration of ICs.
Classification by general function/structure is shown below.

Semiconductor Devices

Discrete devices Optical devices Microwave devices Sensors ICs Hybrid ICs
•Diodes •Light-emitting devices •Discrete •Sensor •Memories •Thin membrane
General-purpose rectifiers LEDs High-frequency diodes Thermal sensors Volatile memories •Thick membrane
High-speed rectifiers Laser diodes High-frequency Pressure sensors Non-volatile
Switching diodes •Photodetectors transistors Acceleration memories
Zener diodes Photodiodes •ICs sensors •MPUs
TVS diodes Phototransistors GaAs ICs Magnetic sensors •Logic ICs
Variable-capacitance Photothyristors MMICs Illuminance sensors General-purpose
diodes Phototriacs •Modules Accessing sensors logic ICs
•Transistors Image sensors Bus switches
MOSFETs •Composite optical CMOS logic ICs
Junction FETs devices •Analog ICs
Bipolar transistors Photocouplers General-purpose
IGBTs Photorelays linear ICs
•Thyristors Photointerrupters Power Supply ICs
•Modules •Optical communication Op. Amps
devices Driver ICs
Mixed-signal ICs

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© 2018 Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation