P-type Semiconductor (Noun)
Meaning
A semiconductor in which electrical conduction is due chiefly to the movement of positive holes.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- A p-type semiconductor is created when a silicon crystal is doped with a small amount of a Group III element, such as boron or aluminum.
- In the process of manufacturing integrated circuits, a p-type semiconductor material is used as a base for the transistors and diodes.
- Doping a silicon wafer with a p-type dopant such as boron produces regions that are positively charged and thus creates a p-type semiconductor.
- To control the electrical current flowing through the p-type semiconductor, metal contacts are made at both ends of the device.
- P-type semiconductor materials have holes as their charge carriers and they move freely in the valence band under the influence of an applied voltage.