What is doping? Doping is when certain elements are intentionally introduced to a semiconductor to modify its properties, be it electrical, optical, or structural.
Two main types of doping:
For reference, most semiconductors contain 4 valence electrons (silicon), so that is what we will assume for these explanations.
p-type doping: Mixing a semiconductor with another element with less valence electrons. Typically boron or gallium are used to dope, because they have 3 valence electrons. This way, when they are mixed in with silicon's lattice, holes are formed in silicon's lattice.
n-type doping: Mixing a semiconductor with another element with more valence electrons. Typically phosphorus, antimony, and arsenic are used, because they have 5 valence electrons.
p-type doping increases conductivity by increasing the number of holes, while n-type doping increases conductivity by increasing the number of available electrons.
Two main types of doping:
For reference, most semiconductors contain 4 valence electrons (silicon), so that is what we will assume for these explanations.
p-type doping: Mixing a semiconductor with another element with less valence electrons. Typically boron or gallium are used to dope, because they have 3 valence electrons. This way, when they are mixed in with silicon's lattice, holes are formed in silicon's lattice.
n-type doping: Mixing a semiconductor with another element with more valence electrons. Typically phosphorus, antimony, and arsenic are used, because they have 5 valence electrons.
p-type doping increases conductivity by increasing the number of holes, while n-type doping increases conductivity by increasing the number of available electrons.
