From the course: The Challenge of Scale: Semiconductor Innovation and Manufacturing
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How does a Semiconductor work?
From the course: The Challenge of Scale: Semiconductor Innovation and Manufacturing
How does a Semiconductor work?
(upbeat music) - Okay, a little terminology to help us along. A semiconductor doped with donors, more electrons than it needs, which carry with them a negative charge, is called an N-type semiconductor. If instead, the material is doped with acceptors, fewer electrons than needed for full neighbor to neighbor binding, then the semiconductor is referred to as P-type. P-type semiconductors also conduct electricity. The acceptor spot for the electron can actually hop around from atom to atom as electrons move over to fill it. The apparent motion of this acceptor spot through the lattice looks like a freely moving positive charge, or the lack of a negative charge, and is referred to as a whole. For every electron contributed or taken away, there is a corresponding positive charge in the nucleus, which balances the charge, but the positively charged nuclei are stuck in place in the crystal lattice bonded to the other atoms. The free charge carriers can flow creating current, which is…
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