Why is a semiconductor virtually an insulator at room temperature?
Asked by Topperlearning User | 17th Jun, 2014, 03:32: PM
Expert Answer:
Semiconductors are virtually insulators at room temperatures because almost all the valence electrons are engaged in the formation of covalent bonds and there are practically very few free electrons. At low temperature the valence band of a semiconductor is completely filled and the conduction band is completely empty.Therefore a semiconductor virtually behaves as an insulator at low temperature.
Answered by | 17th Jun, 2014, 05:32: PM
- Why do conductors not form holes?
- How does the addition of trivalent impurity to a pure semiconductor affect the electron hole pairs at room temperature?
- For the same degree of doping, why is the conductivity of n-type semiconductor greater than that of p-type semiconductor?
- Why are germanium and silicon preferred to other semiconductors in solid state devices?
- Why are n-type and p-type semiconductor electrically neutral?
- Why do hole carriers present in n-type semiconductor?
- Why is the amount of impurity added to a pure semiconductor closely controlled?
- The hole current is due to the movement of valence electrons from one covalent bond to another. Why is then the name hole current?
- Which of the one between silicon and germanium preferred in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices? Why?
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