Question

What is a semiconductor? Describe the two main types of semiconductors and explain mechanisms for their conduction.

Answer 1

semiconductors are materials that act as an insulator or a conductor depending upon its physical conditions.for example,they may act as insulators if the temperature is too cold or a conductor if the temperature is too hot.

The two main types of semiconductors can be categorised as:
1.Donors
2.Acceptors

Donors have a very knit distribution of electrons in their structure, such so that they contain an extra electron that is ever ready to react with its surrounding environment such that the structure attains stability and then there are Acceptors which play similar to donors but are electron deficient. they take electrons in order to attain stability.

donors contain pentavalent bonds(5 bonded electrons; 1 extra)whereas Acceptors contain trivalent bonds(3 bonded electrons; 1 deficient electron or hole).empty spaces or a vacant position after an electron jump from its structure are known as holes,

all semiconductors react when they reach certain activation energy, which supplies the electron in a donor with enough energy to jump off its parent structure and react with a molecule in the vicinity or not.