Chemical Engineering Basics - Engineering

Q1:

The majority charge carriers in p-type silicon are

A free electrons

B ions

C conduction electrons

D holes

ANS:D - holes

The majority charge carriers in p-type silicon are holes. In p-type semiconductors such as p-type silicon, the dominant charge carriers are positively charged "holes." These holes are essentially vacancies in the valence band created by the introduction of acceptor impurities (e.g., boron) into the silicon crystal lattice. When an electron from a neighboring atom jumps into one of these vacancies to fill it, it leaves behind another hole, effectively allowing the movement of positive charge through the material. This movement of holes is responsible for the electrical conductivity in p-type semiconductors.