Chapter Fourteen

SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS
MATERIALS, DEVICES AND SIMPLE CIRCUITS

MCQ - I
14.1 The conductivity of a semiconductor increases with increase in temperature
because
(a) Number density of free current carriers increases.
(b) Relaxation time increases.
(c) Both number density of carriers and relaxation time increase.
(d) Number density of current carriers increases, relaxation time decreases
but effect of decrease in relaxation time is much less than increase in
number density.
14.2 In Figure, Vois the potential barrier across a p-n junction, when no battery is
connected across the junction

(a) 1 and 3 both correspond to forward bias of junction

(b) 3 corresponds to forward bias of junction and 1 corresponds to reverse
bias of junction
(c) 1 corresponds to forward bias and 3 corresponds to reverse bias of
junction.
(d) 3 and 1 both correspond to reverse bias of junction.
14.3 In Fig. 14.2, assuming the diodes to be ideal,

(a) D1 is forward biased and D2 is reverse biased and hence current flows
from A to B
 (b) D2 is forward biased and D1 is reverse biased and hence no current flows
from B to A and vice versa.
(c) D1 and D2are bothforward biasedandhence current flows from A to B.
(d) D1 and D2 are both reverse biased and henceno current flowsfrom A to B
and vice versa.
14.4 A 220 V A.C. supply is connected between points A and B (Figure). What will be
the potential difference V across the capacitor?

(a) 220V.
(b) 110V.
(c) 0V.

(d) 220 V
14.5 Hole is
(a) An anti-particle of electron.
(b) A vacancy created when an electron leaves a covalent bond.
(c) Absence of free electrons.
(d) An artificially created particle.
14.6 The output of the given circuit in Figure.

(a) Would be zero at all times.

(b) Would be like a half wave rectifier with positive cycles in output.
(c) Would be like a half wave rectifier with negative cycles in output.
(d) Would be like that of a full wave rectifier.
14.7 In the circuit shown in Fig. 14.5, if the diode forward voltage drop is 0.3 V, the
voltage difference between A and B is
 (a) 1.3 V
(b) 2.3 V
(c) 0
(d) 0.5 V
14.8 Truth table for the given circuit (Figure) is

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
MCQ - II
14.9 When an electric field is applied across a semiconductor
(a) Electrons move from lower energy level to higher energy level in the
conduction band.
(b) Electrons move from higher energy level to lower energy level in the
conduction band.
(c) Holes in the valence band move from higher energy level to lower energy
level.
(d) Holes in the valence band move from lower energy level to higher energy
 level.
14.10 Consider an npntransitor with its base-emitter junction forward biased and
collector base junction reverse biased. Which of the following statements are
true?
(a) Electrons crossover from emitter to collector.
(b) Holes move from base to collector.
(c) Electrons move from emitter to base.
(d) Electrons from emitter move out of base without going to the collector.
14.11 Figure shows the transfer characteristics of a base biased CE transistor. Which
of the following statements are true?

(a) At Vi= 0.4V, transistor is in active state.

(b) At Vi= 1V , it can be used as an amplifier.
(c) At Vi= 0..5V, it can be used as a switch turned off.
(d) At Vi= 2.5V, it can be used as a switch turned on.
14.12 In a npn transistor circuit, the collector current is 10mA. If 95 per cent of the
electrons emitted reach the collector, which of the following statements are
true?
(a) The emitter current will be 8 mA.
(b) The emitter current will be 10.53 mA.
(c) The base current will be 0.53 mA.
(d) The base current will be 2 mA.
14.13 In the depletion region of a diode
(a) There are no mobile charges
(b) Equal number of holes and electrons exist, making the region neutral.
(c) Recombination of holes and electrons has taken place.
(d) Immobile charged ions exist.
14.14 What happens during regulation action of a Zener diode?
(a) The current in and voltage across the Zenor remains fixed.
(b) The current through the series Resistance (Rs) changes.
(c) The Zener resistance is constant.
 (d) The resistance offered by the Zener changes.
14.15 To reduce the ripples in a rectifier circuit with capacitor filter
(a) RLshould be increased.
(b) Input frequency should be decreased.
(c) Input frequency should be increased.
(d) Capacitors with high capacitance should be used.
14.16 The breakdown in a reverse biased p–n junction diode is more likely to occur
due to
(a) Large velocity of the minority charge carriers if the doping concentration is
small.
(b) Large velocity of the minority charge carriers if the doping concentration is
large.
(c) Strong electric field in a depletion region if the doping concentration is
small.
(d) Strong electric field in the depletion region if the doping concentration is
large.
VSA
14.17 Why are elemental dopants for Silicon or Germanium usually chosen from
group XIII or group XV?
14.18 Sn, C, and Si, Ge are all group XIV elements. Yet, Sn is a conductor, C is an
insulator while Si and Ge are semiconductors. Why?
14.19 Can the potential barrier across a p-n junction be measured by simply
connecting a voltmeter across the junction?
14.20 Draw the output waveform across the resistor (Figure).

14.21 The amplifiers X, Y and Z are connected in series. If the voltage gains of X, Y
and Z are 10, 20 and 30, respectively and the input signal is 1 mV peak value,
then what is the output signal voltage (peak value)
(i) If dc supply voltage is 10V?
(ii) If dc supply voltage is 5V?
14.22 In a CE transistor amplifier there is a current and voltage gain associated with
 the circuit. In other words there is a power gain. Considering power a measure
of energy, does the circuit voilate conservation of energy?
S.A

14.23

(i) Name the type of a diode whose characteristics are shown in Fig. (A) and
Fig. (B).
(ii) What does the point P in Fig. (A) represent?
(iii) What does the points P and Q in Fig. (B) represent?
14.24 Three photo diodes D1, D2 and D3 are made of semiconductors having band
gaps of 2.5eV, 2eV and 3eV, respectively. Whichones will be able to detect light
of wavelength 6000 Å ?
14.25 If the resistance R1 is increased (Figure), how will the readings of the ammeter
and voltmeter change?

14.26 Two car garages have a common gate which needs to open automatically when
a car enters either of the garages or cars enter both. Devise a circuit that
resembles this situation using diodes for this situation.
14.27 How would you set up a circuit to obtain NOT gate using a transistor?
14.28 Explain why elemental semiconductor cannot be used to make visible LEDs.
14.29 Write the truth table for the circuit shown in Figure. Name the gate that the
circuit resembles.
14.30 A Zener of power rating 1 W is to be used as a voltage regulator. If zener has a
breakdown of 5V and it has to A regulate voltage which fluctuated between 3V
and 7V, what should be the value of Rsfor safe operation (Fig.14.12)?

LA
14.31 If each diode in Figure has a forward bias resistance of 25 and infinite
resistance in reverse bias, what will be the I1values of the current I1, I2, I3 and I4?

14.32 In the circuit shown in Figure, when the input voltage of the base resistance is
10V, Vbeis zero and Vce is also zero. Find the values of Ib, Icand .

14.33 Draw the output signals C1and C2in the given combination of gates (Figure).
14.34 Consider the circuit arrangement shown in Figure (a) for studying input and
output characteristics of npn transistor in CE con- figuration.

Select the values of RB and RC for a transistor whose VBE = 0.7 V, so that the
transistor is operating at point Q as shown in the characteristics shown in Figure
(b).
Given that the input impedance of the transistor is very small and VCC= VBB= 16
V, also find the voltage gain and power gain of circuit making appropriate
assumptions.
14.35 Assuming the ideal diode, draw the output waveform for the circuit given in
Figure. Explain the waveform.

14.36 Suppose a ‘n’-type wafer is created by doping Si crystal having 5 × 10 28

atoms/m3 with 1ppm concentration of As. On the surface 200 ppm Boron is
added to create ‘P’ region in this wafer.
i
Considering ni= 1.5 × 1016 m–3, (i)
Calculate the densities of the charge carriers in the n &p regions. (ii) Comment
which charge carriers would contribute largely for the reverse saturation current
when diode is reverse biased.
14.37 An X-OR gate has following truth table:
 A B Y
0 0 0
0 1 1
1 0 1
1 1 0
It is represented by following logic relation

Build this gate using AND, OR and NOT gates.

14.38 Consider a box with three terminals on top of it as shown in Figure (a):

(a)
Three components namely, two germanium diodes and one resistor are
connected across these three terminals in some arrangement.
A student performs an experiment in which any two of these three terminals are
connected in the circuit shown in Figure (b).

The student obtains graphs of current-voltage characteristics for unknown

combination of components between the two terminals connected in the circuit.
The graphs are
(i) When A is positive and B is negative

(ii) When A is negative and B is positive

 (iii) When B is negative and C is positive

(iv) When B is positive and C is negative

(v) When A is positive and C is negative

(vi) When A is negative and C is positive

From these graphs of current – voltage charac- teristic shown in Figure (c) to
(h), determine the arrangement of components between A, B and C.
14.39 For the transistor circuit shown in Figure, evaluate VE, RB, REgiven IC= 1 mA,
VCE= 3V, VBE= 0.5 V and VCC= 12 V, = 100.
14.40 In the circuit shown in Figure, find the value of RC.