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Q8 (CDS-I/2017) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Atomic and nuclear physics Answer Verified

When a piece of pure silicon is doped with aluminium, then

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

When pure silicon, a Group IV element with four valence electrons, is doped with aluminium, it becomes a p-type semiconductor [1]. Aluminium is a trivalent element (Group III) with only three valence electrons [1]. When it replaces a silicon atom in the crystal lattice, it can only form three covalent bonds, leaving one vacancy or 'hole'. This hole acts as a positive charge carrier, and aluminium is thus termed an 'acceptor impurity' because it can accept an electron from the valence band to fill this vacancy [1]. The introduction of these holes significantly increases the conductivity of the material compared to pure silicon [1]. Therefore, doping silicon with aluminium creates a p-type semiconductor where holes are the majority charge carriers.

Sources

  1. [1] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucapikr/Solid_State_Physics/Section%209.pdf
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