When a P-type semi-conductor is heated: (A) number of holes...

When a P-type semi-conductor is heated:
(A) number of holes increases while that of electrons decreases
(B) number of electron increases while that of hole decreases
(C) number of electrons and holes remains same
(D) number of electrons and holes increases equally

Key Concepts

P-type Semiconductor

A P-type semiconductor is created by doping an intrinsic semiconductor with acceptor impurities, which introduce extra holes (positive charge carriers) into the material. These holes become the majority charge carriers, defining the conduction properties of the semiconductor under standard conditions.

Thermal Generation of Electron-Hole Pairs

Heating a semiconductor increases the energy available to electrons, causing more of them to gain enough energy to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. This process, known as thermal generation, results in the simultaneous creation of electrons (in the conduction band) and corresponding holes (in the valence band), thus augmenting the overall charge carrier concentration.

Majority and Minority Carriers

In doped semiconductors, the charge carriers are classified into majority and minority carriers based on their prevalence. In a P-type semiconductor, holes are the majority carriers while electrons are the minority carriers. When temperature increases, the generation of electron-hole pairs affects both populations, though the relative increase is the same for each pair generated.

Temperature Dependence of Carrier Concentration

The concentration of charge carriers in any semiconductor is sensitive to temperature changes. As temperature rises, the intrinsic generation of electron-hole pairs increases, which leads to a rise in both the number of electrons and holes. This phenomenon is essential in understanding how semiconductor properties evolve with temperature and impacts device performance.

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