Holes and Electrons in Semiconductors
Holes and electronics are basically the charge carriers of the Semiconductor which results in the flow of current or electricity through it. Electrons, which carry a negative charge, orbit the nucleus of an atom. In semiconductors, they are assumed to be the primary carriers of electric charge. Within the semiconductor’s valence band, electrons are confined to atoms and exert limited influence on current flow. In a Semiconductor, when an electron leaves a place due to getting energy a place is left behind which is known as a hole. A hole in a Semiconductor represents a region of positive charge where an electron’s absence has left an opening in the covalent bond between atoms.
Mobility of Electrons and Holes
In Semiconductors like silicon, the mobility of the electrons surpass the holes due to their fundamental differences in their behavior within the material’s structure.
The Electrons reside and move within the conduction band of the semiconductor, while holes, which result from electrons transitioning to higher energy levels, move within the valence band. When an electric field is applied, electrons are comparatively less hindered in their movement than holes due to their greater freedom within the conduction band.Also electrons are negatively charged which makes them experience less resistance from the positively charged atomic nuclei as they traverse the lattice compared to holes, which possess a positive charge and thus encounter stronger repulsion from the nuclei.
In the given Silicon Bond Model, when a free electron moves from its lattice position, it leaves behind a hole with an opposite charge. These holes act as positive charge carriers within the lattice.
Semiconductors
A Semiconductor is a kind of material that performs conductivity between conductors and insulators and has a conductivity value that lies between the conductor and an insulator.
In this article, we will be going through semiconductors, first, we will start our article with the introduction of the semiconductor, then we will go through holes and electrons with band gap theory, and after that we will go through properties and types of semiconductors, At last, we will conclude our article with solved examples, applications and advantages with some FAQs.
Table of Content
- Holes and Electrons
- Direct and Indirect Band Gap Semiconductors
- Properties of Semiconductor
- Types of Semiconductor
- Intrinsic Vs Extrinsic Semiconductors
- Applications of Semiconductor
- Advantages of Semiconductor
- Disadvantages of Semiconductor
- Examples of Semiconductor