Question
What is the name given to an impurity atom that adds holes to a semiconductor crystal structure?
Answer Options
- A) Insulator impurity
- B) N-type impurity
- C) Acceptor impurity
- D) Donor impurity
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
The process of doping a pure semiconductor creates the P-type material, which is necessary for creating diodes and transistors. This process involves introducing a small amount of a specific type of impurity atom into the crystal structure.
The impurity atom used to create P-type material is called an Acceptor impurity. This is a trivalent element (such as Boron or Gallium) with three valence electrons. When bonded into the crystal structure, it is one electron short of forming a complete bond, creating a ‘hole.’ The atom is called an acceptor because it is ready to accept an electron, creating a movable positive charge carrier (a hole).
This topic was automatically created to facilitate community discussion about this exam question. Feel free to share study tips, memory tricks, or additional explanations!