ECE-EDA

Introduction to Electronics
1

Engr. Francis A. Malabanan

ECE, Instructor

FIRST ASIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITIES

OUTLINE
 Introduction
 The Atom
 Materials Used in Electronics
 Current in Semiconductors
 N-Type and P-Type Semiconductors
 The PN Junction

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OBJECTIVE
 Describe the structure of an atom
 Discuss insulators, conductors, and semiconductors and how
they differ
 Describe how current is produced in a semiconductor
 Describe the properties of n-type and p-type semiconductors
 Describe how a PN junction is formed

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ELECTRONICS
 Deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical
components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and
integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection
technologies.
 Electronic devices such as diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits are
made of a semiconductive material.
 The pn junction is fundamental to the operation of devices such as the
solar cell, the diode, and certain types of transistors.
 To understand how these devices work, you should have a basic knowledge
of the structure of atoms and the interaction of atomic particles.
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ATOM
 Smallest particle of an element that retains the characteristics
of that element
BOHR MODEL
• Niels Henrik David Bohr
• Atoms have a planetary type of structure that consists
of a central nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons

Nucleus - consists of positively charged particles called protons

and uncharged particles called neutrons
Electron - Basic particles of negative charge

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ELECTRONS AND SHELLS
Bohr Model of Silicon Atom
ENERGY LEVELS
 Discrete distance from the nucleus of the
orbiting electron
 Electrons near the nucleus have less
energy than those in more distant orbits
SHELLS
 Orbits grouped according to energy levels

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VALENCE SHELL & ELECTRONS
Bohr Model of Silicon Atom
VALENCE SHELL
 The outermost shell

VALENCE ELECTRONS
 Electrons in the valence shell
 Can gain sufficient energy from an external
source and break free from its atom which
is the basis for conduction.
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IONIZATION
Bohr Model of Silicon Atom
IONIZATION
 Process of losing a valence electron

IONIZATION ENERGY
 The amount of energy acquired by a
valence electron allowing it to escape from
the outer shell

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IONIZATION
Bohr Model of Silicon Atom
POSITIVE ION
 Resulting positive charge atom due to
losing of valence electron
FREE ELECTRON
 The escaped valence electron
NEGATIVE ION
 Atom that has acquired extra electron

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 CHECKPOINT
1. Describe the Bohr model of the atom.
2. Define electron.
3. What is the nucleus of an atom composed of? Define each
component.
4. Define atomic number.
5. Discuss electron shells and orbits and their energy levels.
6. What is a valence electron?
7. What is a free electron?
8. Discuss the difference between positive and negative ionization.

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MATERIALS USED IN
ELECTRONICS
CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL
 Has atoms arranged in symmetrical matter

Materials can be classified as:

 Insulators - a material that does not conduct electrical current
under normal conditions.
 Conductors - a material that easily conducts electrical current.
 Semiconductors - a material that is between conductors and
insulators in its ability to conduct electrical current.
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MATERIALS USED IN
ELECTRONICS
Materials can be classified as:
 Insulators - a material that does not conduct electrical current
under normal conditions.
 Valence electrons are tightly bound to the atoms, >4
 Examples of insulators are rubber, plastics, glass, mica, and quartz

 Conductors - a material that easily conducts electrical current.

 Atoms with only one valence electron very loosely bound to the atom,
or <4
 The best conductors are single-element materials, such as copper (Cu),
silver (Ag), gold (Au), and aluminum (Al)
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FIRST ASIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITIES
MATERIALS USED IN
ELECTRONICS
Materials can be classified as:
 Semiconductors - a material that is between conductors and
insulators in its ability to conduct electrical current.
 The single-element semiconductors has atoms with four valence
electrons.
 Single-element semiconductors are antimony (Sb), arsenic (As),
astatine (At), boron (B), polonium (Po), tellurium (Te), silicon (Si), and
germanium (Ge).
 Compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide, indium
phosphide, gallium nitride, silicon carbide, and silicon germanium
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BANDGAP
 FREE ELECTRON
 Energized electron that leaves the valence shell
 CONDUCTION BAND
 Where free electron from valence band exists
 BANDGAP (Energy Gap)
 The difference in energy between the valence band and the conduction
 No electron exists

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BANDGAP
Energy diagrams for insulators, semiconductors, and conductors

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ATOM COMPARISON
SILICON VS COPPER

There is more force trying to hold a valence electron to the atom in

silicon than in copper
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ATOM COMPARISON
SILICON VS GERMANIUM

 Both have 4 valence electron

 Germanium’s valence electron
FIRSTrequires
lesser additional energy to escape the atom
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COVALENT BONDS
 Sharing of valence electron
 Octet Rule - Eight shared valence electron produces state of chemical.
 Intrinsic Crystal - Pure or no impurity
Silicon Crystal

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 CHECKPOINT
1. What is the basic difference between conductors and insulators?
2. How do semiconductors differ from conductors and insulators?
3. How many valence electrons does a conductor such as copper have?
4. How many valence electrons does a semiconductor have?
5. Name three of the best conductive materials.
6. What is the most widely used semiconductive material?
7. Why does a semiconductor have fewer free electrons than a conductor?
8. How are covalent bonds formed?
9. What is meant by the term intrinsic?
10. What is a crystal?

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CONDUCTION ELECTRON AND HOLES

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 ELECTRON-HOLE PAIR &
RECOMBINATION
For every electron raised to the
conduction band by external
energy, there is one hole left in
the valence band, creating what
is called an electron-hole pair.

Recombination occurs when a

conduction-band electron loses
energy and falls back into a hole
in the valence band.

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ELECTRON CURRENT
 Current caused by the movement of free electron in the
conduction band

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HOLE CURRENT
 Current caused by the movement of valence electrons

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 CHECKPOINT
1. Are free electrons in the valence band or in the
conduction band?
2. Which electrons are responsible for electron current in
silicon?
3. What is a hole?
4. At what energy level does hole current occur?

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SEMICONDUCTOR
 Semiconductors are poor conductors.

DOPING
 Addition of impurities to intrinsic semiconductive material to
increase the number of carriers (electrons or holes)
 N-Type Impurity
 P-Type Impurity

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N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR
 Semiconductor doped with N-Type Impurity (Pentavalent
Impurity)

PENTAVALENT IMPURITY
 Atoms with five valence electrons
 Donor atom or donor dopant
 arsenic (As), phosphorus (P), bismuth (Bi), and antimony
(Sb)
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N-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR
 Pentavalent impurity (Antimony) atom in a silicon crystal
structure. The extra electron from the Sb atom becomes a free
electron
MAJORITY CARRIERS
• Electrons are the majority current
carriers
MINORITY CARRIERS
• Current caused by few holes created
when electron-hole pairs are thermally
generated
• Not produced by doping
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P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR
 Semiconductor doped with P-Type Impurity (Trivalent
Impurity)

TRIVALENT IMPURITY
 Atoms with three valence electrons
 Acceptor atom or acceptor dopant
 boron (B), indium (In), gallium (Ga), aluminum (Al)

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P-TYPE SEMICONDUCTOR
 Trivalent impurity (Boron) atom in a silicon crystal structure.

MAJORITY CARRIERS
• Holes are the majority current
carriers
MINORITY CARRIERS
• Current caused by few electrons
created when electron-hole pairs are
thermally generated
• Not produced by doping

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 CHECKPOINT
1. Define doping.
2. What is the difference between a pentavalent atom and a trivalent
atom?
3. What are other names for the pentavalent and trivalent atoms?
4. How is an n-type semiconductor formed?
5. How is a p-type semiconductor formed?
6. What is the majority carrier in an n-type semiconductor?
7. What is the majority carrier in a p-type semiconductor?
8. By what process are the majority carriers produced?
9. By what process are the minority carriers produced?
10. What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors?
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PN JUNCTION
 Forms at boundary between the two regions of n-type and p-
type semiconductor
 Create a diode

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FORMATION OF THE DEPLETION REGION

 Free electrons in the n

region near the pn
junction begin to diffuse
across the junction and
fall into holes near the
junction in the p region.

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DEPLETION REGION & BARRIER POTENTIAL

 DEPLETION REGION
 Region near the pn junction depleted of charge carriers (electrons
and holes)
 BARRIER POTENTIAL
 Potential difference of the electric field across the depletion region
 Voltage (Volts) required to move electrons through the electric
field
 Si = 0.7V, Ge = 0.3V

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 CHECKPOINT
1. What is a pn junction?
2. Explain diffusion.
3. Describe the depletion region.
4. Explain what the barrier potential is and how it is created.
5. What is the typical value of the barrier potential for a
silicon diode?
6. What is the typical value of the barrier potential for a
germanium diode?

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 THANK YOU

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