Intrinsic Semiconductors Extrinsic Semiconductors
1. These are pure forms of 1. These are obtained by doping with
semiconductors (silicon or pentavalent or trivalent impurity atoms
germanium). with Ge or Si crystal.
2. Their electrical conductivity is
2. Their electrical conductivity is higher.
low.
3. The number of free electrons in 3. Electrons are majority charge
the conduction band is equal to carriers in N-type semiconductors,
the number of holes in the while holes are majority charge carriers
valence band. in P-type semiconductors.
4. Their electrical conductivity depends
4. Their electrical conductivity
on temperature as well as on dopant
depends on temperature.
concentration.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Difference between Intrinsic and extrinsic
semiconductors.
Difference between N type and p type
semiconductors.
N-type Semiconductors P-type Semiconductors
1. Obtained by doping 1. Obtained by doping trivalent
pentavalent impurity to silicon impurity to silicon or
or germanium crystal. germanium crystal.
2. Impurity atoms added
2. Impurity atoms added create
provide free electrons and are
holes and are called acceptors.
called donors.
3. Electrons are majority 3. Holes are majority charge
charge carriers, while holes are carriers, while electrons are
minority charge carriers. minority charge carriers.
PN JUNCTION FORMATION
It is the single crystal of Si (or) Ge doped in such a
manner that one half portion of it acts as P-type
semiconductor and other half as N-type semiconductor.
NOTE:
The two separate semiconductors cannot have a
continuous contact at the atomic level, the junction will
behave as a discontinuity for the following charge
carriers. So, acceptor and donor impurities must be
grown in a single crystal.
Diffusion:
During the formation of PN junction and due to the
concentration gradient across P and N sides, the holes
diffuse from P side to N side and electrons diffuse from
N side to P side. This process is known as diffusion and
it constitutes a current called diffusion current.
The small region of the junction which is depleted of
free charge carriers and has only immobile ions is
called depletion region.
Due to this depletion region, electric field developed.
The accumulation of negative charges in the P region
and positive charges in the N region sets up a potential
difference across the junction. This acts as a barrier and
is called barrier potential (V B).
Due to the electric field electron moves towards n side
and holes moves towards p -[Link] process is called
[Link] current directed from N side to P side is called
drift current.
The drift current and diffusion current are in opposite
directions.
In equilibrium state,the diffusion current is equal to the
drift current and there is no net flow of charge across
the junction.
PN Junction Diode:
A PN junction has two electrode connections one on the
Pside and another on the N side is known as PN junction
diode.
FORWARD BIAS:
If the positive terminal of the battery is connected to
the P-side and negative terminal of the battery
connected to the N -side,then the PN junction said to be
forward biased.
[Link] applied voltage V opposes the barrier potential
(VB ), the effective barrier potential decreases ( VB – V )
and hence energy barrier across the junction
decreases.
[Link] majority charge carriers , holes from P side and
electrons from N side begin to flow towards junction.
[Link] to this depletion region width decreases
[Link] resistance across the junction decreases
[Link] V > V B , the majority charge carriers flow
across the junction and sets up the current called
forward current(mA)
REVERSE BIASING:
If the negative terminal of the battery is connected to
the P-side and positive terminal of the battery
connected to the N -side,then the PN junction said to be
reverse biased.
[Link] the applied voltage V and barrier potential V B
are in the same direction,the barrier potential increases
(V + V B ) and energy barrier across the junction
increases.
[Link] majority charge carriers , holes from P side and
electrons from N side begin to move away from the
junction.
[Link] to this depletion region width increases
[Link] resistance across the junction
increases(very high)
[Link] current flows through the junction due to majority
charge carriers.
But,due to the minority charge carriers on both sides a
very small amount of current flows through the junction
called reverse current( µA)
V-I CHARACTERISTICS OF PN JUNCTION DIODE:
FORWARD BIAS:
[Link] , the current increases (almost negligible)very
slowly till the voltage across the diode crosses a certain
value , called threshold voltage or
cut – in voltage . (cut in voltage for ge 0.2 V and Si 0.7
V)
2. After the cut – in – voltage , the diode current
increases rapidly, even for very small increase in the
voltage.
Reverse bias characteristics:
1. The reverse bias voltage produces a very small
current , about a few microamperes which almost
remains constant with [Link] small current is
called reverse saturation current.
2. When reverse voltage across the junction reaches
a sufficiently high value ,the reverse current
increases to large value .This voltage breaks the
junction is called breakdown
Voltage.
.
. RECTIFIER:
It is a device used to convert alternating current
into direct current.
HALFWAVE RECTIFIER:
It is a device used to convert alternating current
into direct current only in one half cycle.
Circuit diagram:
A half wave rectifier consists of a transformer , a
junction diode D and a load resistance RL .
Working:
When a.c is supplied to the primary, secondary of a
transformer supplies the desired ac voltage across
terminals A and B.
In Positive half cycle, the voltage at A is positive,B
is negative the diode is forward biased and it
conducts. This current flows through load
resistance and we get an output voltage.
In negative half cycle,A is negative, B is
[Link] diode is reverse biased .Diode does
not conduct and no current [Link] voltage
appears across the resistance.
Efficiency of half wave rectifier 40.6%
FULL WAVE RECTIFIER:
It is a device used to convert alternating current
into direct current in both the half cycles or (full
cycles)
Circuit diagram:
Waveform:
It consists of a centre tapped transformer ,two junction
diodes and load resistance RL .the centre tapped
transformer used to give 180 degree phase shift
between the terminals A and B.
WORKING:
*In positive half cycle, A is positive ,B is negative,
diode D 1 is forward biased , it conducts current.
Diode D2 is reverse biased,it does not conduct current.
So we get output voltage due to diode D1.
*In negative half cycle, A is negative,B is positive
diode D 1 is reverse biased , it does not conduct
current.
Diode D2 is forward biased,it conducts current.
So we get output voltage due to diode D2.
As during both half cycles of input a.c the current flows
through load resistance in the same [Link]
output voltage obtained in both half cycles of input
a.c ,this process is called full wave rectifier.
Efficiency of full wave rectifier,
81.2%
NOTE: As input frequency is 50 Hz(f), then
[Link] output frequency of halfwave rectifier is 50 Hz.
(f)
[Link] output frequency of full wave rectifier is 100 Hz.
(2f)
3. The reverse saturation current of a diode is negligible
and can be considered equal to zero for practical
purposes.
[Link] reverse breakdown voltage of the diode must be
sufficiently higher than the peak ac voltage at the
secondary of the transformer to protect the diode from
reverse breakdown.
5. To get steady dc output from the pulsating voltage
normally a capacitor is connected across the output
terminals (parallel to the load RL. One can also use an
inductor in series with RL for the same purpose. Since
these additional and give a pure dc voltage, so they are
called filters.
6. When the voltage across the capacitor is rising, it
gets charged. If there is no external load, it remains
charged to the peak voltage of the rectified output.
When there is a load, it gets discharged through the
load and the voltage across it begins to fall. rectified
output it again gets charged to the peak value . The
rate of fall of the voltage across the capacitor depends
inversely upon the product of capacitance C and the
effective resistance RL used in the circuit and is called
the time constant.
7. To make the time constant large value of C should be
large. So capacitor input filters use large capacitors.
The output voltage obtained by using capacitor input
filter is nearer to the peak voltage of the rectified
voltage. This type of filter is most widely used in power
supplies.
NOTE:
(i) Minority Carrier Injection:
Due to the applied voltage, electrons from n-
side cross the depletion region and reach p-side
(where they are minority carriers). Similarly,
holes from p-side cross this junction and reach
the n-side (where they are minority carriers).
This process under forward bias is known as
minority carrier injection.
ii) Breakdown voltage:
The current under reverse bias is essentially voltage
independent upto a critical reverse bias voltage, known
as breakdown voltage (Vbr)
iii) Explain, how the heavy doping of both p-and n-sides
of a p-n junction diode results in the electric field of the
junction being extremely high even with a reverse bias
voltage of a few volts?
If p-type and n-type semiconductor are heavily
doped. Then due to diffusion of electrons from n-region
to p-region, and of holes from p-region to n-region, a
depletion region formed of size of order less than 1 µm.
The electric field directing from n-region to p-region
produces a reverse bias voltage of about 5V and
electric field becomes very large.