Conductors and Semiconductor Materials

Fassbinder, D.L.
Engenharia Eltrica
Universidade Federal do Pampa
Alegrete, Brasil
Email: djo_fassbinder@hotmail.com

AbstractThis electronic document presents approach about

conductors and semiconductors materials, that are important components for the electronics circuits today. Having a focus on the
characteristics of the elements gifted this capacity, arguing the
causes this aspect.

I. INTRODUCTION
Most of the conductors used in electric engineer are metals
like copper, aluminium and steel. Conductors are materials
that have very low resistance, faciliting the passage the current
easily. They can therefore carry electric currents from place to
place without dissipating a lot of power. As a result, metals
are useful as connecting wires to carry electrical signals. They
sustain ensure that most of the signals power reaches its
destination.
All the transistors, diodes, integrated circuits, etc. used in
modern electronics are built using a range of semiconductors.
The basic property of a semiconductor is given away by its
name it "conducts a little bit". A semiconductor will carry
electric current, but not as easily as a normal conductor as
previously mentioned [1] .

and have not another level, it leaves the electron cloud, which
can become free to others atoms [2].
In the metals, there is an energy value for which the free
electron becomes able to escape the surface. This amount of
energy should be sufficient to overcome the potential barrier
where the potential energy is maximum. However, the energy
required for an electron to pass the conduction band is too low
compared the other elements, as for example semiconductors
and insulator materials, any perturbation in the system can
make the electron jump Fig. 1.

II. CONDUCTORS
Conductors are materials that have a large amount of the
free electron in layer valence of its atoms .These materials
allow a large amount of electrons migrate from one atom to
another, when subjected to a magnetic force , thus generating
a large current of these electrons. These materials are usually
metals, and the best conductors are in order, brass, tin, bronze,
copper, silver and gold.
All conductors share the property that they are able to
carry an electric current when to exist an applied difference
voltage. The material create an electric field that forces any
free charges to move. In most cases, the vast majority of the
electrons inside the material are fixed in place. However, in
all conductors some of the electrons find a way to move.
According to Niels Bohrs atomic theory, an electron orbiting in an atomic nucleus have discrete energy values , which
are related to their possible orbital ray. Thus, layers in the
electron, are defined as energy levels. A distal layer of the
core corresponds to a more energetic level. So that the electron
jumps to an outer layer receiving energy, usually from light
or heat is required.
It is significant that the electronic jumps are not restricted
to the atom, if an electron from the valence layer is excited

Fig. 1. The band model to conductors materials.

III. SEMICONDUCTORS
The semiconductor materials are materials that have a resistance located between the conductors and insulating materials.
They do not serve as good conductors or insulators. These
materials are special because it with an impurity, which contaminates they can become conductive, or depending become
insulators, these materials are certain crystals, such as gallium,
germanium and silicon. They are used to create transistors,
integrated circuits, and chips.
Semiconductors materials has an intermediate energy required for an electron to pass of valence band to conduction
band and be as in Fig. 2, thus needing more energy to owning
free electrons.
In semiconductor materials , the layer valence has 4 electrons, as the material tends to have eight valence electrons in
the layer , and the semiconductor element has only four atoms
that accommodates its symmetrically to each other , forming
a crystalline structure by covalent bonds as in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2. The band model to semiconductors materials.

Fig. 4. Formation of gaps in a semiconductor with impurities of type P.

2) FORMATION MATERIAL OF TYPE N: Associating one

element with five electrons in the last layer as, phosphorus or
arsenic, semiconductor material will form covalent bonds, but
there will be an electron Fig.5 , which can move through the
structure with greater ease and generates electrical current,
is formed material with negative charge. The name N comes
from negativity generated existing negative charge [4].

Fig. 3. Structure of a semiconductor material.

A. FORMATION ELEMENTS OF TYPE P AND N

The semiconductor name is justified, since a small amount
of P or N doping lead reasonably but not excellent. The PN
junction is the basic structure of semiconductors , especially
diodes and transistors usually formed with Silicon and Germanium.
To effectively utilize semiconductor materials, additional
elements are introduced in the crystal structures called impurities, through injection or diffusion processes.
These impurities are elements whose atoms has three or five
electrons in the valence layer. These impurities are introduced
into the semiconductor material in small quantities.
The tendency to form a symmetrical structure causes the
atoms "impurities" to accommodate such that produce free
electrons, so it can be moved easily. Or lack of electrons in
the case of the addition of elements with three electrons in the
last layer.
The doping of the semiconductor material (silicon or germanium) by introducing impurities with three electrons in the
valence layer as aluminum, indium, gallium or boron, has the
covalent bond formation between the semiconductor material
and the impurity.
1) FORMATION MATERIAL OF TYPE P: When introduce
an element of this type, one of the bond lack an electron,
because the element contributed only three electrons Fig. 4
This lack of electrons behaves as a ready to receive electrons
(material with a positive charge), so it can receive an electron
from another bonding material [3].

Fig. 5. Formation of gaps in a semiconductor with impurities of type N.

IV. INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE IN

SEMICONDUCTORS
The conductors, with increase temperature causes an increase of the resistance offered to the passage of electrical
current. Already in semiconductors, the unlike happens, an
increase in temperature leads to a decrease of the resistance
as in Fig. 6.
V. CONCLUSION
Semiconductor materials attract much attention mainly because it is a raw material indispensable for the preparation of a
series of optical and electronic devices as well as examples are
the transistors, rectifiers, solar cells, lasers etc. Responsible,
in recent decades, by a technological revolution in our lives,
especially in the areas of communications and computing.
Its ease in changing its property of conductor to insulator
or vice versa, when can vary its electrical conductivity
controlled by changing your chemical composition or crystal
structure, are considered as of paramount importance for
digital electronics and electrical engineering to where we

Fig. 6. - Graph of resistance of materials relative to temperature.

used in the current rectifiers, voltage regulators, and many

other applications.
REFERENCES
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Avaliable in www.st-andrews.ac.uk. Acessed in November,
2014.
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e Condues Eltricas Trabalho de Fsica II Centro
Universitrio Estadual da Zona Oeste.
[3]. STRUHALSKI, J. Semiconductors Materials.
Avaliable in www.mundofisico.joinville.udesc.br. Acessed in
November, 2014.
[4]. PEREREIRA, L.S. Eletronics Doping. Avaliable in
www.infoescola.com. Acessed in November, 2014.