ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Unit-9 Electronics Device Insulator:- A solid in which conduction band are

empty and have large forbidden energy gab of more
Topic 9.1:-Energy band and Semiconductor
than 3ev and above is called Insulator.
1. Energy band
**Valence Band:- Valence Band are the lower C.B (empty)
energy level occupied by the valence electrons.
**Conduction band : Conduction band are the
higher energy level occupied by free electron which
Eg > 3ev
is either empty or partially filled with electrons.
**Forbidden energy Gap:- The separation of energy
between conduction band and valence band is called V.B
forbidden energy gap(Eg).
** Since Eg is large, electrons from valence band
cannot jumped to the conduction band and also CB is
Conduction band (CB)
empty with electron. Hence there is no electron in
the conduction band . So insulator doesn’t conduct.

Energy gap (Eg)

ii. Semiconductor:- A solid in which conduction
band is empty and have small forbidden gap
Valence band( VB) of less than 3eV is called semiconductor.

C.B
2. Classification of solid on the basis of Energy
band theory:
Eg<3ev
Q. Explain conductor, insulator and
semiconductor and semiconductor on the basis
of energy band theory. V.B
i. Conductor:- A solid in which conduction
e.g: Germanium and Silicon are th example of
band is partially filled with electron(fig 1) or
semiconductor
Conduction and valence band overlapped
Q. Explain How does semiconductor conduct?
(fig 2) is called solid.
At low temperature (0K), electron in the
valence band does not have sufficient energy to jump
to the conduction band and hence semiconductor
Partially filled with b CB
acts as insulator at low temperature.
Electron
But at room temperature some electrons in the VB
Eg
have sufficient thermal energy to jump to the
conduction band and hence semiconductor starts
VB conducting at room temperature.

or
Q. How does temperature affect of conductivity
on semiconductor:
C.B
Band Overlapped
As temperature increases more and more electron
from VB jumped to the conduction band by
V.B
absorbing heat from the surrounding medium and
hence conductivity of the semiconductor increases
***For conductor, there must be sufficient amount
with increases in temperature.
electron in conduction band
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B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
M,sc Physics, Manipur University Former Guest Lecturer Delta Advance School
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3. Type of semiconductor ii. They are knowns as acceptor
i. Intrinsic Semiconductor or Pure impurities.
Semiconductor iii. They are deficit in electron
ii. Extrinsic Semiconductor or dopped
semiconductor 4. Types of Extrinsic semiconductor:-
i. P type semiconductor:-
Intrinsic Semiconductor:- a. Extrinsic semiconductor obtained by
1. A pure elemental semiconductor is called adding trivalent impurities is called P
intrinsic semiconductor. type semiconductor.
2. In Intrinsic semiconductor, Charge carrier are b. Majority charge carrier s hole and
holes(positively charge) and minority charge carrier is electrons
electrons(negatively charge) which are ii. N type semiconductor:-
thermally generated charge carrier. a. Extrinsic semiconductor obtained by
3. Intrinsic semiconductor has low conductivity adding pentavalent impurities is
as charge carrier are thermally generated and called N type semiconductor.
has low concentration. b. Majority charge carrier is electrons
4. In Intrinsic semiconductor no. of hole and no. and minority charge carrier is holes.
free electron are equal.
Thus, 𝐧𝐞 = 𝐧𝐡 = 𝐧𝐢 5. In Extrinsic semiconductor
where ne= free electron concentration 𝒏𝒆 . 𝒏𝒉 = 𝒏𝟐𝒊
nh= Hole concentration where ne= free electron concentration in extrinsic
ni= intrinsic charge carrier concentration. semiconductor
nh= Hole concentration in extrinsic
Extrinsic semiconductor:-
semiconductor
1. A semiconductor obtained by adding suitable
ni=intrinsic charge carrier concentration
impurities into the intrinsic semiconductor is
called extrinsic semiconductor or doped
Questions:-
semiconductor
1. Explain insulator , conductor and
semiconductor and the basis of energy band
2. Doping and dopant:- The process of adding
theory
suitable impurities to the intrinsic semiconductor
2. Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic
to increases the conductivity is called doping and
semiconductor.
the impurities added is called dopant
3. State three points of difference between n-
type and p-type semiconductor.
3. Type of dopant:-
4. Explain how semiconductor conducts with
a. Pentavalent impurities/dopant:-
reference to formation of holes and free
i. Atoms having 5 valence electrons are
electrons.
used as pentavalent impurities
5. A semiconductor has equal no of holes and
e.g: Arsenic(As), Antimony(Sb),
electrons of 6 × 1010 𝑚−3 . On doping with
Phosphorous(P) etc.
certain impurities, electron concentration
ii. They are knowns as donor impurities.
increases to 8 × 1014 𝑚−3 .
iii. They are excess in electron
i. What type of impurities is added and
also identify the new semiconductor
obtained.
b. Trivalent Impurities/dopant:-
ii. Calculate the new hole concentation.
i. Atoms having 3 valence electrons are
iii. How does the doping affect the
used as trivalent impurities
forbidden energy gap.
2

e.g.: Indium(In), Gallium(Ga),

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Aluminum(Al), Boron(B) etc.

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B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
M,sc Physics, Manipur University Former Guest Lecturer Delta Advance School
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6. State the condition in which semiconductors Diffusion current and drift current
acts as insulator and why? Movement of majority charge carrier across the
7. How does dopping affect the conductivity of junction gives rise to diffusion current while
the semcobductor. movement of minority charge carrier across the
junction gives rise drift current.
****Practice some more question and also correlated with the lecture note
given in the class for more clarification. And this notes is only for students Potential barrier or junction barrier( Vo)
The potential difference between positive ion on
of BKS Physics tutorial*****
n-side of the pn junction and negative ion on n-
side of the pn junction is called potential barrier
Topic : 9.2 PN junction and PN junction diode
or junction barrier.
1. Formation of PN Junction:
Consider a thin p-type semiconductor wafer. By
adding precisely a small quantity of pentavalent
impurity, part of the p type wafer can be
converted into n-type. The wafer now contains p-
region and n-region and a metallurgical junction
between p- region and n- region.
Since n- side has higher concentration of free
electrons ad p-side has higher concentration of
holes, electrons diffused from n-side to p-side
while holes diffused from p-side to n-side. This
gives rise to diffusion current As a result a region 2. Semiconductor Diode or PN junction Diode
of positive ion is formed on the n-side of the
junction and a region of negative ions is formed ** when a battery is connected across the pn
on the p side of the junction. This region is known junction the it is called semiconductor diode or pn
as depletion region as there no mobile charge junction diode
carrier

Or

Due to the space charge region around the

junction and electric field is developed from
positive to negative charge across the junction.
Due this electric filed minority charge carrier a. PN Junction diode under forward Bias:-
from both side cross the junction. This gives rise
to drift current. Initially, diffusion current is large
and drift current is small. As the diffusion process
continues, the space-charge regions on either
side of the junction extend, thus increasing the
electric field strength and hence drift current.
This process continues until the diffusion current Fig:- before biasing
equals the drift current. Thus a p-n junction is
3

formed .
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B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
M,sc Physics, Manipur University Former Guest Lecturer Delta Advance School
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Knee Voltage or threshold voltage:
The Forward battery voltage in which forward
current starts increasing rapidly is known as knee
voltage or threshold voltage.

b. PN Junction diode under reverse Bias:-

Fig:- After forward biasing

Under forward bias

i. Positive terminal of the cell is connected

to the p-side and negative terminal is
connected to the n side of the pn junction.
ii. Potential barrier as well as thickness of
the deoletion region decreases Fig: Before biasing
iii. As a result majority carrier i.e electron
from n side and hole from p side cross the
junction. The cross over elctron in the p
side and hole in the n side are minority
charge carrier, so this process is known as
minority charge injection

Forward Bias characteristic:

Fig: Reverse bias

Under Reverse bias

i. P-side is connected to the negative
terminal of the cell and n- side is
connected to the positive terminal of the
cell
ii. The width of the depletion as well
potential barrier increases. So majority
charge carrier from both side cannot cross
the junction. Therefore flow of current in
the diode almost stopped.
Fig: Circuit to study forward characteristic iii. But there is small saturation current due
to the movement of minority charge from
both side across the junction. This
saturation current is not affected by the
increase in reverse voltage.
iv. If the reverse voltage increases to a
certain high value, covalent bond near the
junction breaks and large no. of hole and
electron pair are generated. Thus reverse
current increase abruptly to a very high
value. This phenomenon is known as
breakdown and the corresponding
reverse voltage is known
Vk as breakdown voltage.
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Fig: Forward characteristic

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B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
M,sc Physics, Manipur University Former Guest Lecturer Delta Advance School
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Reverse bias Characteristic: conduct and current flows through the diode. The
output voltage which varies in accordance to the
input half cycle is obtained across RL.
During the negative half Cycle of the input a.c,
the junction diode is in reverse biased. Therefore the
diode does not conduct and hence no output is
obtained across RL.
Thus the negative half cycle of the input is
eliminated and hence it is known as half wave
Fig:- Circiut to study reverse bias characteristic rectifier.
Disadvantage:
1. The output voltage is discontinuous.
2. The output voltage is fluctuating.

**Output frequency of half wave rectifier is equal to

that of input frequency

Full wave rectifier:

Fig;- Reverse bias characteristic

Application of semiconductor Diode:-

1. Half wave Rectifier

Two PN junction diode D1 and D2 is connected to

input AC voltage supply as shown in figure. The
An AC voltage to be rectified is supplied across the output voltage is obtained across the load resistance
PN junction Diode as shown in the figure. The output RL.
is obtained across the Load resistance RL. During the positive half cycle of the input ac
During the positive half cycle of the input AC voltage, diode D1 is in forward biased but D2 is in
5

reversed biased. So only diode D1 will conduct. And

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voltage, the diode is in forward biased and hence it

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B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
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hence the output vo;tage which varies in accordance
to the input half cycle is obtained across RL. due to R1
During the negative half cycle of the input ac
voltage, diode D1 is in reversed biased but D2 is in
forward biased. So only the diode D2 conduct. Ans
hence the output voltage which varies in accordance
to the input half cycle is obtained across RL. due to R2
Hence both halve of the input ac is rectified. The
input and output voltage is shown in the figure.
Advantage: Output voltage is continuous.
Disadvantage: Output voltage is fluctuating
** The output frequency of full wave rectifier is
double the frequency of input frequency.

Questions:
1. State two factor on which conductivity of
pure semiconductor depends.
Ans:
a. Width of forbidden energy gap.
b. Intrinsic charge concentration.
2. Why intrinsic semiconductor has low
conductivity?.
Ans: because charge carrier are thermally
generated and has very low concentration.
3. Why is p type semiconductor called so?
Ans Because charge given by majority charge
carrier is positive.
4. Why is n type semiconductor called so?
Ans. Because charge given by majority charge
carrier is negative.
5. What is a hole?
Ans: A hole is a vacant space in a covalent
bond which are initially filled by electron and
they are consider to be positively charge.
6. Sate two point of difference between p type
and n type semiconductor.
7. State two point of difference between
pentavalent and trivalent semiconductor.
8. State two point of difference between
extrinsic and intrinsic semiconductor.
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Prepared by Sir Bikesh( 8800239312) Lecturer Photon school

B.sc(Hons) Physics, Delhi University Part Time Lecturer Bethel School (Higher secondary)
M,sc Physics, Manipur University Former Guest Lecturer Delta Advance School