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14.3 - INTRINSIC SEMICONDUCTOR

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Covalent Bonds in Semiconductors

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Teacher
Teacher

Let's discuss the structure of intrinsic semiconductors, specifically silicon and germanium. These materials form what's called covalent bonds. Can anyone explain what a covalent bond is?

Student 1
Student 1

Isn't a covalent bond when atoms share pairs of electrons?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! In Si and Ge, each atom shares one of its four valence electrons with each of its neighbors, forming strong bonds. This sharing creates a stable lattice structure. Remember, we often describe this as a diamond-like structure.

Student 2
Student 2

What happens to these bonds at very low temperatures?

Teacher
Teacher

Good question! At absolute zero, all bonds are intact, and the material behaves like an insulator.

Teacher
Teacher

To help remember, think of the acronym 'BOND' — 'B' for Bonding, 'O' for Order, 'N' for Neighbors, and 'D' for Diamond-like structure.

Student 3
Student 3

So, what changes when temperature increases?

Teacher
Teacher

As temperature increases, thermal energy can break some of these bonds, freeing electrons. Can anyone tell me what this process creates?

Student 4
Student 4

Oh, that would be electron-hole pairs, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! And the equal number of free electrons and holes is vital for conductivity.

Teacher
Teacher

In summary, the covalent bonds in intrinsic semiconductors allow for stability at low temperatures, but increased thermal energy leads to free charge carriers. Remember the BOND acronym as a memory aid.

Behavior of Charge Carriers in Intrinsic Semiconductors

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Teacher
Teacher

Now that we understand the structure, let's talk about the behavior of charge carriers in intrinsic semiconductors. At room temperature, what happens to the charge carriers?

Student 2
Student 2

Some of the thermal energy helps electrons break free from their bonds, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Correct! This results in free electrons moving through the lattice, contributing to electrical conduction. How does the number of holes relate to the number of free electrons?

Student 1
Student 1

Is it that the number of holes equals the number of free electrons?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! In intrinsic semiconductors, the intrinsic carrier concentration is described as n = n_h, indicating balance.

Student 4
Student 4

What does n represent again?

Teacher
Teacher

n is the intrinsic carrier concentration, the sum of free electrons and holes present in the semiconductor. This is crucial for understanding how we can enhance conductivity through doping in later sections.

Teacher
Teacher

Let’s recap: At higher temperatures, thermal energy excites electrons, creating equal numbers of free electrons and holes, critical for conductivity. Remember, 'n-h is no longer inert' as a mnemonic.

Applications of Intrinsic Semiconductors

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Teacher
Teacher

We've learned the fundamentals of intrinsic semiconductors. Can anyone tell me why they are important in electronics?

Student 3
Student 3

Are they used in devices like diodes and transistors?

Teacher
Teacher

Absolutely! Understanding intrinsic semiconductors helps us design and create numerous electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and much more.

Student 2
Student 2

So, they serve as the basic building blocks for more advanced electronics?

Teacher
Teacher

That's right! Grasping intrinsic properties sets the stage for the discussion on extrinsic semiconductors, which we will cover next.

Teacher
Teacher

Let’s finalize our session. Intrinsic semiconductors are foundational for technology and signal the path toward applying these principles in doped materials for enhanced conductivity. Keep that in mind as we move forward!

Introduction & Overview

Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.

Quick Overview

This section explains the properties and behavior of intrinsic semiconductors such as silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), highlighting how thermal energy influences charge carrier generation.

Standard

Intrinsic semiconductors, particularly silicon and germanium, have a diamond-like crystal structure where each atom shares electrons to form covalent bonds. At low temperatures, these materials behave as insulators, but as temperature increases, some electrons become free, creating electron-hole pairs that contribute to electrical conduction.

Detailed

Detailed Summary

Intrinsic semiconductors like silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are characterized by their four valence electrons, which they share covalently with four nearest neighbors in their diamond-like crystal structure. At absolute zero, intrinsic semiconductors behave like insulators with no free charge carriers. As the temperature rises, thermal energy provides sufficient energy for a small number of valence electrons to break free from their covalent bonds, leading to the creation of electron-hole pairs. The number of free electrons equals the number of holes, indicating a balance in charge carrier generation. Thus, intrinsic carrier concentration becomes essential in determining the electrical properties of these semiconductors. While intrinsic semiconductors have limited conductivity at room temperature, they serve as a foundational basis for understanding more complex semiconductor behaviors, particularly when doping is introduced in later sections.

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Audio Book

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Lattice Structure of Semiconductors

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We shall take the most common case of Ge and Si whose lattice structure is shown in Fig. 14.3. These structures are called the diamond-like structures. Each atom is surrounded by four nearest neighbours.

Detailed Explanation

In this section, we are looking at the fundamental structure of intrinsic semiconductors like Germanium (Ge) and Silicon (Si). Their atoms are arranged in a specific repeating pattern called the diamond structure. This means that each atom in the semiconductor is bonded to four other atoms in the vicinity, creating a strong and stable arrangement. Such structures are key to how these materials behave electrically.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a diamond as a city where each house (atom) is connected to four other houses. If you take one house out, the others still remain intact, similar to how the atoms in the semiconductor are bonded to each other. This bonding is crucial for the flow of electricity.

Covalent Bonding in Semiconductor Atoms

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We know that Si and Ge have four valence electrons. In its crystalline structure, every Si or Ge atom tends to share one of its four valence electrons with each of its four nearest neighbour atoms, and also to take a share of one electron from each such neighbour. These shared electron pairs are referred to as forming a covalent bond or simply a valence bond.

Detailed Explanation

Silicon and Germanium have four electrons in their outermost shell, known as valence electrons. In a solid crystal, each atom shares its electrons with neighboring atoms, creating strong covalent bonds. This sharing allows the electrons to hold the atoms together tightly, which is what gives semiconductors their solid structure and enables control of electrical characteristics.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine a group of friends sharing their snacks during a picnic. Each friend (atom) gives a little bit of their food (electron) to others to form a group (covalent bond). This teamwork holds the group together and keeps everyone connected.

Thermal Energy and Electron Movement

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As the temperature increases, more thermal energy becomes available to these electrons and some of these electrons may break away (becoming free electrons contributing to conduction). The thermal energy effectively ionises only a few atoms in the crystalline lattice and creates a vacancy in the bond.

Detailed Explanation

When the temperature rises, some of the electrons in the covalent bonds gain enough energy to break free from their bonds, turning into free electrons that can move and conduct electricity. This process also creates vacancies or 'holes' where the electrons used to be, both of which contribute to electrical conduction in the semiconductor.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a crowded room where people are cooperatively holding onto each other (covalent bonds). When someone turns on a heater (increasing temperature), a few people start moving around more freely. Those who leave create empty spots, just like free electrons and holes in the semiconductor lattice.

Charge Carriers in Intrinsic Semiconductors

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In intrinsic semiconductors, the number of free electrons, n_e is equal to the number of holes, n_h. That is n_e = n_h = n_i, where n_i is called intrinsic carrier concentration.

Detailed Explanation

In intrinsic semiconductors, there is a balance between free electrons and holes. For every electron that escapes the covalent bond, a hole is created, leading to an intrinsic carrier concentration. This constant ratio is essential for understanding how semiconductors conduct electricity, especially at low temperatures.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine a basket of apples (holes) where every time you take out an apple (a free electron), another apple appears in its place (a hole). This balance keeps the number of apples constant, similar to how electrons and holes balance themselves in intrinsic semiconductors.

Movement of Holes and Electrons

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Suppose there is a hole at site 1. The movement of holes can be visualised as shown in Fig. 14.5(b). An electron from the covalent bond at site 2 may jump to the vacant site 1 (hole). Thus, after such a jump, the hole is at site 2 and the site 1 has now an electron.

Detailed Explanation

The movement of holes can be conceptualized as a dance where the participants (electrons) move from one spot to another. When an electron jumps to fill a hole, it creates a new hole where it once resided. This process affects the overall conductivity as it enables the movement of charge through the semiconductor.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a game of musical chairs. When the music stops, one player moves to fill an empty chair (the hole) while creating a new empty chair for the previous sitter. This frees up space and keeps the game going, similar to how electrons move and create holes in a semiconductor.

Equilibrium in Charge Carrier Generation

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It may be noted that apart from the process of generation of conduction electrons and holes, a simultaneous process of recombination occurs in which the electrons recombine with the holes. At equilibrium, the rate of generation is equal to the rate of recombination of charge carriers.

Detailed Explanation

In an intrinsic semiconductor, there is a dynamic balance between generating free electrons and holes and recombining those carriers. At thermal equilibrium, these two processes occur at the same rate, ensuring stable electrical characteristics.

Examples & Analogies

Consider a water tank; water flows in (generation of charge carriers) and flows out (recombination) at the same rate, keeping the tank level constant. Similarly, in a semiconductor, the number of free electrons and holes remains stable over time.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Covalent Bonds: Understanding how atoms share electrons to form stable structures.

  • Carrier Generation: How temperature affects electron-hole pair creation.

  • Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic: The difference between pure and doped semiconductors.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • Example 1: At absolute zero, silicon behaves as an insulator with no free charge carriers. When heated, it transitions to conducting due to electron-hole pair formation.

  • Example 2: Germanium, like silicon, forms a diamond-like structure, allowing it to serve as a semiconductor in similar applications.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • Electrons can soar, when the temp goes up more, creating holes in the core.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine at a winter party, everyone's frozen (absolute zero), then some warmth comes in, and they start dancing (thermal excitation), creating a lively atmosphere (electron-hole pairs).

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • Remember 'ICE' for intrinsic conductors: Insulator at zero, Conductible when heated, Equal electrons and holes.

🎯 Super Acronyms

BOND

  • Bonding
  • Order
  • Neighbors
  • Diamond-like structure.

Flash Cards

Review key concepts with flashcards.

Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Intrinsic Semiconductor

    Definition:

    A semiconductor that behaves as an insulator at absolute zero and has properties influenced primarily by temperature.

  • Term: Covalent Bond

    Definition:

    A bond formed when two atoms share pairs of electrons.

  • Term: Charge Carrier

    Definition:

    Particles, such as electrons and holes, that carry electric charge in a material.

  • Term: Covalent Bond

    Definition:

    The type of bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms in a semiconductor.

  • Term: Intrinsic Carrier Concentration

    Definition:

    The number of free charge carriers (electrons and holes) in an intrinsic semiconductor.