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How do semi-conductors work?

How do semi-conductors work?

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Asked by I.Helen, Last updated: Jan 24, 2024

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6 Answers

Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley
Todd Gurley

Answered Jan 28, 2021

Semiconductors are used by engineers because their electrical properties are very easy to control. During the manufacturing process of semiconductors, you can easily control their electrical properties by adding impurities to them. This is carried out through the process known as doping.

The electrical properties of a semiconductor depend on the number of impurities added to it. Doping means you are controlling the way an electrical current flows through a semiconductor. Unlike in metals where electrons are the only charge carriers, the charge carriers in semiconductors are holes and electrons.

This also explains why semiconductors don't conduct electricity the same way, because some are hole based, while others are electron-based. It is important to note that there are two types of doping: n-type doping and p-type doping. Also, the two types of doping can be arranged such that they form a P-N junction.

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Leo Samuels

Leo Samuels

A good learner

Leo Samuels
Leo Samuels, Content Writer, PG, California

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Semiconductors are materials that only conduct a small and partial amount of the electrical current. Element silicon is the most common material that semiconductors are used for. You may find a lot of silicon in nature in the form of crystalline. Silicone is a semiconductor because it allows electrons to freely among particles.

Semiconductors have chemicals added to them to help control the conductivity levels. The chemical added to the semiconductor is dopants. Another use of semiconductors is to make transistors. This is used in many electronic devices, such as mobile phones, such as Androids and iPhones, and computers.

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F. Daniel

F. Daniel

I work for a California based MNC.

F. Daniel
F. Daniel, Content Optimization Executive, Diploma in Journalism, California

Answered Jan 20, 2021

A lot of the things that are present in modern technology right now is because of semiconductors. There are different active components right now that works mainly because of semiconductors. For example, microchips will have semiconductors. Transistors will have semiconductors too. Semiconductors work because of the imbalance of the electrons that are present that will have a negative charge.

They will then charge the semiconductor material. Take note that the type of charges that will become present will depend on the excess protons or electrons that are available in the semiconductor material. To generate enough electricity, the thermal equilibrium should be disturbed. Otherwise, it will not work.

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asiacomponents lin

asiacomponents lin

asiacomponents lin
Asiacomponents lin

Answered Nov 10, 2020

At very low temperatures, the semiconductor's valence band is a full band (see energy band theory), after thermal excitation bai, some of the electrons in the valence band will cross the forbidden band into the higher energy of the empty band, the existence of electrons in the empty band after becoming a conduction band, the lack of an electron in the valence band after the formation of a positively charged vacancy, known as a hole. The hole conducts electricity is not an actual motion, but an equivalent.

Electrons' conductive isoelectric holes will move along its opposite direction. They produce directional motion under the action of the external electric field and the formation of macroscopic current, known as electron conductive and hole conductive, respectively. This mixed type of conductivity due to the formation of electron-hole pairs is called intrinsic conductivity. A conductive band of electrons will fall into the hole, electron-hole pairs disappear, known as the composite.

The energy released when the composite becomes electromagnetic radiation (luminescence) or the thermal vibration energy of the lattice (fever). At a certain temperature, electron-hole pairs are generated and compound at the same time and reach dynamic equilibrium, at this time the semiconductor has a certain carrier density, which has a certain resistivity. When the temperature rises, more electron-hole pairs will be generated, the carrier density increases and the resistivity decreases.

Here is a more detailed explanation.

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F. Ray

F. Ray

F. Ray
F. Ray, Student, Kansas City

Answered Oct 31, 2018

There is something about the semiconductor that makes it unique from all of the others that can either be insulators or conductors. The electron structure of this is very unique as the outer orbitals contain 4 electrons. This means that there are some crystals that semiconductors have that other products do not have. When these four electrons match with other atoms, this can become a lattice.

Semiconductors can be used for different items. It is most apparently used in various gadgets. Expect to find one in the device that you have. Whether you have a personal computer or you have your phone, it is bound to have a semiconductor.

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C. Reyes

C. Reyes

C. Reyes
C. Reyes

Answered May 15, 2018

Semiconductors are materials that only partly conduct a small amount of electrical current. The most common material used for semiconductors is the element silicon. Silicon is commonly found in nature in a crystalline form. A material like silicon is a conductor because it permits electrons to flow freely from particle to particle.

Chemicals called dopants are added to semiconductors to help control the level of conductivity. Semiconductors are used to make transistors which are then used in many electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones.

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