Intrinsic Semiconductor
Intrinsic semiconductor conductivity primarily depends on:
Select the correct option:
Solution
Band gap and temperature
In an intrinsic semiconductor (pure material like Si or Ge), conductivity is determined by the number of thermally generated charge carriers (electrons and holes).
- Band Gap (Eg): Carriers are generated when electrons gain enough energy to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. A smaller Eg allows more carriers to jump.
- Temperature (T): The number of carriers ni increases exponentially with temperature: ni∝T3/2e−Eg/(2kBT). Unlike metals, the conductivity of semiconductors increases with temperature because the effect of increased carrier concentration outweighs the effect of lattice scattering.
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- semiconductor electronics
- Topic
- intrinsic semiconductor
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Band gap and temperature
In an intrinsic semiconductor (pure material like Si or Ge), conductivity is determined by the number of thermally generated charge carriers (electrons and holes).
- Band Gap (Eg): Carriers are generated when electrons gain enough energy to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. A smaller Eg allows more carriers to jump.
- Temperature (T): The number of carriers ni increases exponentially with temperature: ni∝T3/2e−Eg/(2kBT). Unlike metals, the conductivity of semiconductors increases with temperature because the effect of increased carrier concentration outweighs the effect of lattice scattering.
This easy difficulty physics question is from the chapter semiconductor electronics, covering the topic of intrinsic semiconductor. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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