Electrical Properties of Matter in 10 Second

Code &Subject: PH8252 & Physics for Information Science, Dept.
Name : PHYSICS Academic Year : 2017- 2018
UNIT I: ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

PART – A
1. What are bound and free electrons?
The innermost electron which is tightly bound to the nucleus is called bound electrons and it does
not contribute to the conductivity of the metal.
Free electron is the electron which moves freely in all directions in the absence of an external field.
These electrons collide with each other and also with the lattice elastically and hence there is no loss in
energy.
2. List out three main theories developed for metals
a) Classical free electron theory, b) Quantum free electron theory, c) Band theory of solids.
3. Give the postulates of free electron theory.
In a metal, the free electrons of an atom are free to move about the entire volume of the metal like
the molecules of a perfect gas in a container. These free electrons in the metal are responsible for
electrical conduction.
4. Define drift velocity. (June 2014)
The average velocity acquired by the free electron in a particular direction, due to the application of
an electric field is called drift velocity.
5. Define relaxation time and collision time. (Dec 2012)
Relaxation time can be defined as the time taken by the free electron to reach its equilibrium
position from its disturbed position in the presence of an applied field.
Collision time is defined as the average time taken by a free electron between two successive
collisions.
6. Define mean free path. (June 2012)
The average distance travelled by an electron between two successive collisions is known as mean
free path.
7. Define Mobility of Electrons. Write its unit. (May 2015)
The magnitude of the drift velocity per unit electric field is defined as the Mobility of electrons (μ).
μ= d/E (m2V-1s-1)
8. Write the differences between drift velocity and thermal velocity of an electron. (June 2016)
S.No Drift Velocity Thermal velocity
1. The average velocity acquired by the free electron in the Thermal velocity is the velocity of an electron
presence of an electric field is called drift velocity. without any external field
2. The electrons moving with drift velocity moves in the The direction of the electrons moving with
direction opposite to that of the field direction thermal velocity is random
9. Get the microscopic form of Ohm’s law and state whether it is true for all temperatures.
According to classical free electron theory current density, J=σE: E=Jρ: Resistance=ρl/A: Voltage
V= I ρl/A =IR.
Microscopically we can write V=IR as E=Jρ. Since the resistivity varies with respect to the
temperature, the microscopic form of Ohm’s law is not true for all the temperatures.
10. Define Electrical conductivity.
The amount of electrical charges conducted (Q) per unit time (t) across unit area (A) of the solid
per unit applied electrical field (E).
11. Define Wiedemann – Franz law. (Dec 2015)
It states that the ratio of the thermal conductivity (K) to the electrical conductivity (σ) of a metal is
directly proportional to the absolute temperature (T) of the metal.
12. Distinguish between electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity.
S.No Electrical conductivity Thermal conductivity
1. The electrical conductivity is defined as the The thermal conductivity is defined as the quantity
quantity of electricity flowing per unit area per unit of heat conducted per unit area per unit time
time maintained at unit potential gradient. maintained at unit temperature gradient.
2. Electrical conductivity is purely due to Thermal conductivity is due to both free electrons
number of free electrons. and phonons.
St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 1
Code &Subject: PH8252 & Physics for Information Science, Dept. Name : PHYSICS Academic Year : 2017- 2018
13. What are the similarities between electrical and thermal conductivity of metals?
a) The electrical and thermal conductivity decreases with increase in temperature and impurities.
b) The electrical and thermal conductivities are very high at low temperature.
14. What are the sources of resistance in metals? (June 2014)
The resistance in metals is due to a) Impurities present in the metals b) Temperature of the metal
c) Number of free electrons in the metal.
15. What are the drawbacks of classical free electron theory?
a) It is predicted that the value of electronic specific heat as (3/2)R,but experimentally it is about
0.01R only.
b) The ratio between thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity is not constant at low
temperatures.
c) The theoretical value of paramagnetic susceptibility is greater than the experimental value.
d) The electrical conductivity of semiconductors, ferromagnetism, photoelectric effect and black
body radiation cannot be explained.
16. What are the merits of classical free electron theory?
a) It verifies Ohms law.
b) It explains the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of metals.
c) It is used to derive Wiedemann – Franz law.
17. Discuss the variation of resistivity of a conductor with respect to temperatures.
The variation of resistivity of a conductor with respect to temperatures can be explained as follows
a) The resistivity of a conductor remains almost constant at lower temperatures.
b) The resistivity is proportional to T5 from low temperature to the Debye temperature.
18. Define Fermi energy level and give its importance.
It is the state at which the probability of electron occupation is 50% at any temperature above 0 K
and it is the level of maximum energy of the filled states at 0 K.
Importance:
It is the reference level which separates the filled energy levels and vacant energy levels.
19. Define Fermi surface.
Fermi surface (or ) Fermi sphere is defined as the surface which is traced out by joining the loci of
the end points of the wave vector k corresponding to the Fermi energy level.
20. What are the differences between quantum theory and zone theory?
S.No Quantum theory Zone theory
1. The electron is assumed to move in a region of The electron is assumed to move in a region of periodic
constant potential. potential.
2. According to this theory the mass of the electron According to this theory the mass of the electron varies
remains constant, when it moves through constant when it moves through periodic potential and is called
potential. effective mass of an electron.
21. Write the Fermi-dirac distribution function. (or) Define Fermi distribution function.
Fermi-dirac distribution function represents the probability of an electron occupying a given energy
level. F(E) =1/(1+e(E-EF)/KT)
22. Mention any two important features of quantum free electron theory of metals.
a) It shows that the energy levels of an electron are discrete.
b) The maximum energy level up to which the electron can be filled at 0 K is denoted by Fermi
energy level.
23. Define density of states. What is its use? (Dec 2012)
Density of states is defined as the number of energy states per unit volume in an energy interval.
It is used to determine Fermi energy at any temperature.
24. What is work function?
The amount of kinetic energy required to move an electron from the outer orbit at absolute zero
temperature is called work function.
25. Use Fermi distribution function to obtain the value of F(E) for E-EF = 0.01 eV at 200 K.
F(E) =1/(1+e(E-EF)/KT); F(E) = 1/(1+e0.5797) = 0.359

26. What is Lorentz number?

The ratio between thermal conductivity (K) of a metal to the product of electrical conductivity ()
of a metal and absolute temperature (T) of the metal is a constant. It is called Lorentz number and it is
given by L = K/T
27. Calculate the drift velocity of the free electron [with a mobility of 3.5 x 10 -3 m2V-1s-1] in copper for
electric field strength of 0.5 V/m. (June 2008)
μ= d /E ;d = E/ μ; d = 3.5 x 10 x 0.5; d = 0.00175 m/s
-3
28. Calculate the electrical conductivity in copper if the mean free path of electrons is 4x10-8 m,
electron density is 8.4x1028 m-3 and average thermal velocity of an electron is 1.6x106 m/s.
σ = ne2/m= [(8.4x1028)x(1.6x10-19)2x(4x10-8)] / [(9.11x10-31)x (1.6x106)] = 5.9 x 107 mho m-1
29. Find the relaxation time of conduction electrons in a metal of resistivity 1.54x10 -8 ohm-m if the
metal has 5.8x1028 conduction electrons / m3.
τ = m/ne2 = 9.11x10-31 / [(5.8x1028)x(1.6x10-19)2x(1.54x10-8)] = 3.97x10-14 s
30. Find the drift velocity of the free electrons in a copper wire whose cross sectional area is 1.0 mm 2
when the wire carries a current of 1 A. Assume that each copper atom contributes one electron
to the electron gas. Given n = 8.5x1028/m3.
d = I/neA = 1/ [(8.5x1028)x(1.6x10-19)x(1.6x10-6)] = 7.4x10-5 m/s.
31. Free electron density of aluminium is 18.10x1028m-3. Calculate is Fermi energy at 0K.
2
3𝑁 3 ℎ 2
Fermi energy at 0K 𝐸𝐹0 = ( 𝜋 ) 8𝑚
2
3𝑋18.10𝑋1028 3 (6.623𝑋10−34 )2
=( 3.14
) 8𝑋9.1 𝑋10−31 = 1.8689 X10-18 joules (or) 11.68 eV
32. Using the Fermi function, evaluate the temperature at which there is 1% probability that an
electron in a solid will have energy 0.5eV above EF of 5eV.
𝟏 𝑬−𝑬𝑭⁄ 𝟏 𝑬−𝑬𝑭⁄ 𝟏
𝑭(𝑬) = 𝑬−𝑬𝑭 =𝟏+𝒆 𝒌𝑻 = 𝑭(𝑬) , 𝒆 𝒌𝑻 = 𝑭(𝑬) − 𝟏
⁄
𝟏+𝒆 𝒌𝑻
𝐸− 𝐸𝐹 1 𝐸− 𝐸𝐹
Taking log on both sides, we have, = log [ − 1];𝑇 = 1
𝐾𝐵 𝑇 𝐹(𝐸) 𝐾𝐵 log[ −1]
𝐹(𝐸)
0.5 𝑋 1.6𝑋10−19 0.8𝑋10−19
𝑇= 1 =1.38𝑋10−23 𝑋 log[99] = 1261.6 K.
1.38𝑋10−23 𝑋 log[ −1]
0.01
33. A conducting rod contains 8.5x1028/m3. Calculate the electrical conductivity and mobility of
electron if collision time is 2x10-14sec.
σ = ne2τ/m[(8.5x1028)x(1.6x10-19)2x(2x10-14)] / [(9.11x10-31)] = 4.83 x 107 mho m-1
ρ = 1/σ = 1/(4.83x107) = 2.07x10-8 ohm m
σ = neμ or μ = σ/ne = 0.35 x10-2m2s-1V-1
34. Obtain the expression for electrical resistivity and also discuss its dependence on temperature.
σ = ne2τ/m and ρ = 1/ σ = m/ne2τ
In metal, numbers of charge carriers are constant and μ decrease with temperature.
Hence resistivity increases with increasing temperature.
35. Fermi temperature of a metal is 24600 K. Calculate the Fermi velocity of electrons. (May 2015)
(Given KB = 1.38x10-23 JK-1, m = 9.1x10-31 kg.)
The relation between Fermi energy, Fermi velocity and Fermi temperature is given by
1 2𝐾𝐵 𝑇𝐹 2𝑋1.38x10−23 X 24600
𝐸𝐹 = 𝐾𝐵 𝑇𝐹 = 2
𝑚𝑣𝐹2, 𝑣𝐹 = √ 𝑚
= √ 9.11𝑋10−31
= 0.8633 x 106ms-1.
36. What are the essential features of quantum free electron theory? (June 2016)
In metal, the electrons move freely within the metal and they are not allowed to leave the metal due
to existence of potential barrier at its surfaces. These free electrons have wave nature and they obeyed
Fermi – Dirac statistics.
37. What is Kronig-Penney model?
It is a theory which is able to predict the detailed band structure and electron dynamics within the
actual crystal structures.

38. What is electron theory of solids?

The electrons in the outermost orbit of the atoms which constitute the solids determine its electrical
properties. The electron theory of solids explains the structure and properties of solids through their
electronic structure.
39. What do you mean by free electron approximation? Give its significance.
When the electrons are assumed to be free and run through the extent of the solid, it is known as
free electron approximation. It is easily applicable to the treatment of metals.
40. What do you mean by tight binding approximation? Give its significance.
When the atoms are free but the electrons are tightly bound to their respective atoms, it is known as
tight binding approximation. It is better suited for modeling insulators.
41. Write the characteristics involved in the formation of allowed energy bands.
1. Discrete energy levels of individual atoms split into allowed energy bands.
2. There exist allowed energy bands corresponding to every energy level.
3. Forbidden bands exist, separating any two allowed energy bands.
42. Write some comparison on different solids.
S.No Material Band structure Eg Conductivity
1. Conductor Overlapping of partially filled bands No Band gap Very high
2. Semiconductor Conduction band separated from VB ≈ 1 eV Moderate
3. Insulator Conduction band separated from VB 5 – 15 e V Very low
43. What is the importance of k- space (or) E – k diagram?
The graphical representation of energy as a function of momentum of the wave number helps us to
understand the dynamic behavior of electrons in a crystal lattice.
44. Define effective mass of an electron.
When an electron in a periodic potential of lattice is accelerated by an electric field or magnetic
field, then the mass of the electron is called as effective mass 𝑚𝑒∗ .
45. What do you mean by a hole?
An electron in the upper half of the band which behaves as a positively charged particle is known
as a hole.
46. Define dispersion relation.
An expression that relates momentum and energy is called the dispersion relation. Thus E = p2 / 2m
is the dispersion relation for a free electron.
47. What is a periodic potential?
When an electron moves through a solid, its potential energy varies periodically with the
periodicity equal to period of space lattice ‘a’. This is called periodic potential.
48. What is an energy band?
A set of closely spaced energy levels is called an energy band.
PART – B
1. State and prove Wiedemann – Franz law.
2. Deduce a mathematical expression for electrical and thermal conductivities on the basis of classical
free electron theory and deduce the value of Lorentz number. (June 2014)
3. (i) What are the postulates of free electron theory?
(ii) Derive an expression for electrical conductivity.
(iii) Get the microscopic form of Ohms law.
4. (a) On the basis of free electron theory derive an expression for electrical conductivity. (May 2015)
(b) What are the drawbacks of classical free electron theory of metals? (May 2015)
(c) What are the sources of resistance in metals?
5. Give the mathematical expression for electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of a conducting
material. (April 2012, June 2016)
6. Describe the classical free electron theory and deduce Lorentz number. Also discuss the merits and
demerits of classical free electron theory.

7. Write Fermi-Dirac distribution function. Explain how Fermi function varies with temperature.
(June 2011, June 2016)
8. Derive an expression for the density of states and based on that, calculate the carrier concentration in
metals. (Dec 2012)
9. With a neat diagram, derive an expression for density of states.
10. i) Based on classical free electron theory, arrive at the Wiedemann-Franz law.
ii) Draw a graph showing the variation of Fermi level with change in temperature for the
conducting material and explain it. (June 2011)
11. Explain the concept of density of energy states. Derive an expression of density of energy states.
Find the expression for carrier concentration in metals. (May 2015)
12. A metal wire of length5.8 m and diameter of 2.0 mm carries a current of 750 mA. When the applied
potential across its ends is 22 mV and the drift speed of electrons is 7.2 x 105m/s, calculate the
electrical resistivity of the wire and the conduction electron density of the material of the wire.
(June 2016)
13. The electrical conductivity of Cu at room temperature is 5.9 x 107 mho m-1 . The Fermi energy for Cu
is 7.0 eV and the conduction electron density is 8.4x1028 m-3. Calculate the Fermi velocity and mean
free path of the electrons. (June 2016)
14. Derive an expression for the effective mass of an electron or concept of hole.
15. Describe tight binding approximation to explain the formation of energy band.
UNIT II SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS

PART – A
1. State the properties of semiconductor. (June 2014)
At 0 K they behave as an insulator. They have negative temperature coefficient of resistance.
The resistivity lies between 10-4 to 0.5 ohm-meter.
2. Mention the advantages of semiconducting materials.
 Semiconducting materials can behave as insulators at 0 K and as conductors at high temperatures.
 It is used in the manufacturing of diodes, transistors, LED, IC etc.
3. What is covalent bond? Give the structure of a crystal having this bond.
The covalent bond is the strong classical electron pair bond. It acts between neutral atoms. The
covalent bond is formed with two electrons, one from each atom being shared by both the atoms.
Silicon, Germanium, Diamond crystals have covalent bond.
4. What are elemental semiconductors? Give some examples. (May 2015)
Elemental semiconductors are made from single element of the fourth group elements in the
periodic table. It is also called as indirect band gap semiconductors. Ex: Ge, Si.
5. What are compound semiconductors? Give some examples. (June 2008, May 2015)
Compound semiconductors are made from third and fifth group elements or second and sixth group
elements of the periodic table. It is also called as direct band gap semiconductors. Ex: GaAs, InP.
6. What is meant by doping and doping level?
The process of adding impurities like Ga, In, etc. to pure intrinsic semiconductor is called doping.
The maximum extent up to which the impurity can be added is called doping level.
7. What are the differences between the intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors?
S.No. Intrinsic semiconductor Extrinsic semiconductor
1. It is a pure form of the semiconductor. Semiconductors which are doped with impurities.
Charge carriers are produced only by thermal
2. Charge carriers are produced by impurities.
agitation.
3. They have low electrical conductivity. They have high electrical conductivity.
4. They have low operating temperature. They have high operating temperature.

8. Differentiate indirect band gap and direct band gap of semiconductors.

S.No Indirect band gap Direct band gap
1. They are made of single element. Ex. Ge, Si They are made of compounds. Ex.. GaAs, GaP
2. Heat is produced due to recombination. Photons are emitted during recombination.
3. Current amplification is more. Current amplification is less.
9. What is Fermi level in a semiconductor?
It is the energy level situated in the band gap of the semiconductor, exactly located at the middle of
the band gap in an intrinsic semiconductor.
10. Sketch the Fermi energy level of an intrinsic semiconductor. (June 2011)
11. Write the expression for the electrical conductivity of an intrinsic semiconductor.
Electrical conductivity σ = ni  μe + μh e
Where, ni – intrinsic carrier concentration, µe – mobility of electrons, µh – mobility of holes
12. Write an expression for electrical conductivity of an intrinsic semiconductor. (Dec 2012)
3   Eg 
 2kT  2 3  
 
σ i = 2e 2  me* mh* 4 e    μe + μ h 
 2 kT 
 h 
13. Write the expression for the electrical conductivity of an intrinsic semiconductor in terms of
forbidden energy gap. How one can measure energy gap experimentally?
Electrical conductivity, σi = Aexp(- Eg / 2KBT), Where A is a constant. Taking logarithm on both
sides log σi =log A – (Eg/2KBT). Graph is drawn between the conductivity and temperature. Slope of
the straight line obtained gives Eg/2KBT.
Hence Eg= 2KB x slope, Where KB is called Boltzmann constant.
14. How are n-type & p-type semiconductors are produced? (May 2009)
When a small amount of pentavalent impurity is doped to a pure semiconductor it becomes n-type
semiconductor. When a small amount of trivalent impurity is doped to a pure semiconductor it
becomes p-type semiconductor.
15. Explain the concept of hole. (May 2012)
When a covalent bond is broken an electron escapes to the conduction band leaving behind an
empty space in the valence band. This vacant site of an electron is called a hole.
16. Compare n- type and p- type semiconductors. (June 2008, June 2010)
S.No n - type semiconductors p - type semiconductors
It is obtained by doping an intrinsic It is obtained by doping an intrinsic semiconductor
1. semiconductor with pentavalent impurity. with trivalent impurity.
It has donor energy level very close to the It has acceptor energy level very close to the valence
2.
conduction band. band.
17. What is meant by donor energy level?
When a pentavalent impurity is doped with an intrinsic semiconductor, an energy level is produced
by an electron. It is called donor energy level.
18. What is meant by acceptor energy level?
When a trivalent or an acceptor impurity is doped with an intrinsic semiconductor accepts one
electron which produces an energy level called acceptor energy level.

19. Write an expression for carrier concentration of holes in the valence band of p-type
semiconductor.
3⁄
1 2𝜋𝑚ℎ∗ 𝑘𝑇 4 𝐸𝑉 −𝐸𝑎⁄
𝑛𝑒 = (2𝑁𝑎 ) ⁄2 ( ) 𝑒( 2𝑘𝑇 )
ℎ2
20. With increase of temperature, the conductivity of a semiconductor increases. Why? (May 2015)
When the temperature of the semiconductor is increased, large no. of charge carriers are produce
due to the breaking of covalent bonds and hence the conductivity increases and therefore the resistivity
decreases.
21. Draw the graph for variation of Fermi level with temperature in n-type semiconductor.
22. Discuss the variation of Fermi level with temperature in the case of p-type & n-type
semiconductor.
p - type semiconductor : Fermi level shifts up and reaches the middle of the band gap by increasing
temperature.
n - type semiconductor: Fermi level shifts down and reaches the middle of the band gap by
increasing temperature up to 500 K.
23. Draw the graph for variation of Fermi level with temperature in p-type semiconductor. (June 13)
24. Define Hall Effect and Hall Voltage? (June 2016)

When a current carrying conductor is placed in a transverse magnetic field, an electric field is
produced inside the conductor in a direction normal to both the current and magnetic field. This effect
is known as Hall Effect. The potential difference developed is called Hall voltage.
25. Define Hall coefficient and write the expression for it. (June 2009)
Hall field per unit current density per unit magnetic induction is called Hall coefficient.
RH= EH/JxB
26. Mention the applications of Hall Effect.
 Determination of type of semiconductor.
 Measurement of carrier concentration
 Determination of mobility of charge carrier.
 Measurement of magnetic flux density using a semiconductor sample of known Hall coefficient.
27. What is a Hall device and are different types of Hall devices?
The device uses the Hall effect for its application is known as Hall device.
 Gauss Meter
 Electronic Multiplier
 Electronic Wattmeter
28. Given an extrinsic semiconductor, how will you find whether it is n-type or p-type? (June 2016)
The n-type and p-type semiconductors can be distinguished by determining the Hall Coefficient
using Hall Effect. If the Hall coefficient is negative, then we can say that the material is n-type. And if
the Hall coefficient is positive, then we can say that the material is p-type.
29. The mobility of electrons and holes in a sample of intrinsic Ge at 300 K are 0.36 & 0.17 m2 V-1 s-1
respectively. Find the carrier concentration, if the resistivity of the specimen is 2.12 Ωm
nieeh, σ = 1/ρ
= 5.5 x 1018/m3
30. For intrinsic Ge at 300K, = 2.4 x 1019/m3, µe and µh are 0.39 and 0.19 m2V-1s-1 respectively.
Calculate the conductivity.
nieeh= 2.4x1019x1.609x10-19(0.39 + 0.19) = 2.2 ohm-1m-1
31. Find the resistance of an intrinsic Ge rod of 1 cm long 1 mm wide and 1 mm thick at 300 K. The
intrinsic carrier density is 2.5 x 1019/m3 at 300 K and the mobilities of electron and hole are 0.39
and 0.19 m2 V-1 s-1 respectively. (Oct 2009)
σ = ni  μe + μh e = 2.32 Ω-1m-1
Resistance=ρl/A or l/σA= 4310 ohms.
32. The intrinsic carrier density at room temperature in Ge is 2.37 x 1019/m3. If the electron and
hole mobilities are 0.38 and 0.18 m2 V-1 s-1 respectively, calculate its resistivity. (Dec 2010)
Conductivity, σ = ni  μe + μh e = 2.1235 Ω-1m-1
Resistivity, ρ = 1/ σ = 0.4709 Ωm.
33. A sample of n-type semiconductor with a current density of 50A/m2, flowing across, it is subjected
to a transverse magnetic field of 0.2 T. If the Hall field developed is 3 X 10 -4 V/m, calculate the
concentration of conduction electrons. (June 2011)
ne = Jx.B/ EH.e= (50 x 0.2)/(3x10-4 x 1.602x10-19) = 2.0807 x1023 /m3.
34. If the effective mass of an electron is equal to twice the effective mass of the hole, determine the
position of the Fermi level in an intrinsic semiconductor from the centre of forbidden gap at
room temperature.
;
The Fermi level is below the centre of the forbidden gap by 0.014 eV
35. A semiconductor crystal 12 mm long, 5 mm wide, and 1 mm thick has a magnetic flux density of
0.5 wb/m2 applied from front to back perpendicular to longest faces. When a current of 20mA
flows lengthwise through the specimen, the voltage measured across the width is found to be
37µV. What is the Hall coefficient of the semiconductor? (Dec 2009)
RH= VHb/IHB = 3.7x10-6 C-1m3
36. Compared with Ge, Si is widely used to manufacture the semiconducting devices. Why?
(June 2013)
The advantages of Si over Ge are:
 Stable and strong material &structure of the crystal is like diamond.
 Si has a wider band gap than Ge.
 High operating temperature (125-175 oC vs. ~ 85 oC) and become intrinsic at higher temp.
 Si is cheap and abundant.
37. What is electron binding energy?
Electron binding energy or ionization potential is the energy which is required to remove
an electron from an atom, a molecule, or an ion.
38. Define law of mass action.
The law of mass action states that the product of number of electrons in the conduction band and the
number of holes in the valence band is constant at a fixed temperature and is independent of amount of
donor and acceptor impurity added.
39. What is meant by drift current?

The flow of charge carriers, which is due to the applied voltage or electric field is called drift
current.
40. What is known as diffusion current?
The process by which, charge carriers (electrons or holes) in a semiconductor moves from a region
of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration is called diffusion and the current produced
by it is called diffusion current.
41. What is Ohmic contact?
An Ohmic contact is a type of metal semiconductor junction. It is formed by a contact of a metal
with a heavily dopped semiconductor. When the semiconductor has a higher work function than that of
metals, then the junction formed is called the Ohmic junction.
42. What are the uses of Ohmic contact?
The use of Ohmic contacts is to connect one semiconductor device to another, an IC or to connect
an IC to its external terminals.
43. What is a schottky diode?
Schottky diode is formed between a metal and n-type semiconductor. When the metal has a higher
work function than that of n- type semiconductor then the junction formed is called schottky diode.
44. What are the applications of schottky diode?
 Used in radio frequency (RF) applications.
 Widely used in power applications.
 Commonly used in switching devices at frequencies of 20 GHz.
45. What are advantages of schottky diodes?
 It has high efficiency.
 It operates at high frequencies
 It produces less noise
 Depletion region is negligible, so the diode will immediately switch from ON to OFF state.
46. Write the differences between between Schottky diode and p-n diode.
S.No Schottky diode p-n diode
Forward current due to thermionic emission Forward current due to diffusion currents.
1. (majority carrier transport) (majority carrier transport)
2. Cut in voltage is small about 0.3 V Cut in voltage is large about 0.7 V
3. Less temperature dependent strong temperature dependent
PART – B
1. Derive an expression for density of electrons in conduction band of an intrinsic semiconductor.
2. Derive an expression for density of holes in valence band of an intrinsic semiconductor.
3. (i) Derive an expression for the carrier concentration in an intrinsic semiconductor. (June 2014)
(ii) Discuss the variation of Fermi level with temperature in an intrinsic semiconductor. (Jan 2016)
4. Describe a method of determining the band gap of a semiconductor. How does electrical conductivity
vary with temperature for an intrinsic semiconductor?
5. Derive an expression for a density of electrons in conduction band of a n-type semiconductor.
6. Derive an expression for a density of holes in the valence band of p-type semiconductor. (Jan 2016)
7. Discuss the variation of carrier concentration with temperature in n-type semiconductor.
8. What is Hall Effect? Derive an expression of Hall co-efficient. Describe an experiment to find Hall
coefficient and Hall Voltage. (June 2014, May 2015)
9. (i) What are elemental and compound semiconductors? Give two examples. Compare their
characteristics. (June 2011)
(ii) Describe the Hall Effect experiment to determine the Hall Coefficient and Hall Mobility
10. Silicon contains 5 x1028 atoms/m3. In an n-type Si sample the donor concentration is 1 atom per
2.5 x 107 Si atoms. Find out the position of Fermi level at 300 K. Assume that effective mass of an
electron is equal to the free electron mass.
11. A sample of silicon doped with 1023 phosphorous atoms/m3. Find the Hall Voltage in a sample with a
thickness 100 µm, current 1 mA and magnetic field as 0.1 Wb/m2 (Assume µe = 0.07 µm/vs)
12. The Hall coefficient of the specimen of doped silicon is found to be 3.66x10-4 m-3/C. The resistivity of
the specimen is 8.93x10-3 Ωm. Find the mobility and density of the charge carriers. (Dec 2010)
13. The donor density of an n-type Ge sample is 1021/m3. The sample is arranged in Hall Experiment
having magnetic field of 0.5 T and the current density is 500 A/m2. Find the Hall Voltage if the
sample is 3mm wide. (May 2007)
14.(i) Explain the structure and working of a Schottky Diode.
(ii) Write a note on Ohmic contact.
UNIT – III-MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

PART - A
1. On the basis of spin how the materials are classified as Para, Ferro, Antiferro and Ferri
magnetic. (Or) How will you differentiate magnetic materials based on their spin alignment?
(Oct 2009)
i) Paramagnetic materials have few unpaired electron spins of equal magnitudes.
ii) Ferromagnetic materials have many unpaired electron spins with equal magnitudes.
iii) Antiferro magnetic materials have equal magnitude of spins but in antiparallel manner.
iv) Ferrimagnetic materials have spins in antiparallel manner but with unequal magnitudes.
2. Give Curie – Weiss law and its importance. (June 2014)
Curie –Weiss law is given by χm = C / T - θ
Where C – Curie constant
T – Absolute temperature
θ – Curie temperature
Importance: It determines the susceptibility of the magnetic materials in terms of temperatures (i.e) if
the temperature is greater than curie temperature, a ferromagntic material becomes paramagnetic
material.
3. What do you mean by the term “magnetic domains” and “domain walls’?
Magnetic domains are the small regions in a ferromagnetic material which has a group of
atoms.These atoms can be completely magnetised by favourable exchange spin-spin interaction. The
walls of these small regions (or) domains are called domain walls.
4. What are the differences between hard and soft magnetic materials? (May 2009)
S.No Soft Hard
1 They can be easily magnetized and demagnetized. They cannot be easily magnetized and demagnetized.
Movement of domain wall is easy and hence even Movement of domain wall is not easy due to the
2 for a small applied field, large magentisation presence of impurities and hence large applied field is
occurs. required for magnetisation.
Loop area is less and hence the hysteresis loss is The loop area is large and hence the hysteresis loss is
3
minimum. maximum.
4 Ex: Iron, silicon alloys, ferrites, Garnets etc. Ex:Carbon steel, tungsten steel, Chromium steel
5. Define the terms remenance/retentivity and coercivity.
Remenance is the property of the magnetic material by which it retains some magnetisation when the
magnetising field is reduced to zero.It is expressed in terms of weber/m2.
Coercivity is the property of the magnetic material by which it requires a demagnetising force to
destroy the residual magnetism in it. It is expressed in terms of ampere turns /m.
6. Name two uses of soft magnetic materials.
i) Soft magnetic materials are used to make electromagnets used in cranes.
ii) Due to their low hysteresis loss, they are also used as transformer core materials.

7. What are the requirements of a transformer core material?

Transformer core material should have high resistivity to reduce eddy current losses and
magnetically soft to reduce hysteresis losses.
8. What are Ferrites?
Ferrites are the modified structure of iron in which the magnetic moments are of unequal magnitudes.
They are made by two or more different kinds of atoms.
9. Give the origin of magnetic moment in magnetic materials.
The magnetic moment originates from the orbital motion and spinning motion of electrons in
atoms, particularly ferromagnetism is mainly due to spin-spin interaction of unpaired electrons in the
ferromagnetic atoms.
10. Define magnetic flux density and magnetic dipole with its unit.
Magnetic flux density is defined as number of magnetic lines of forces passing normally through
unit area of cross section. Two opposite magnetic poles separated by some distance is called magnetic
dipole.
11. Define magnetic field intensity and intensity of magnetization.
Magnetic field intensity is defined as the force experienced by a unit north pole placed at the given
point in a magnetic field. Intensity of magnetization is defined as the magnetic moment per unit
volume.
12. Define magnetic susceptibility and magnetic permeability.
Magnetic susceptibility is defined as the ratio between intensity of magentisation and the magnetic
field intensity.
Magnetic permeability is defined as the ratio between the magnetic flux density and the magnetic
field intensity.
13. Prove µr = 1 + χm
When a magnetic material is kept in an external magnetic field, then flux density can be written as
B = µo(H+ I); µ = B / H → B = µH equating both
µH = µo(H+ I) µo µrH = µoH (1+ I /H); µr = ( 1+ I /H); µr = 1 + χm
14. Why diamagnetic materials are called weak magnets and ferromagnetic materials are called
strong magnets?
If a diamagnetic material is kept in an external magnetic field, the electrons spins in the material
reorient in such a way that they align perpendicular to the field direction and hence the materials will
not be easily magnetized. Thus diamagnetic materials are called weak magnets.
When a ferromagnetic material is kept in an external magnetic field, the electrons which are already
aligned parallel to the direction of magnetic field acquire a very strong magnetic moment in it. Hence
ferromagnetic materials are strong magnets.
15. What is meant by Garnet? Give examples.
Garnets are the soft magnetic material which has high resistivity, low hysteresis loss and low
current losses. These are used at microwave frequencies as non reciprocal microwave devices.
16. Define Bohr magneton.
The orbital magnetic moment and the spin magnetic moment of an electron in an atom can be
expressed interms of atomic unit of magnetic moment called Bohr magneton.
1 Bohr magneton = 9.2 x 10-24 Am2.
17. What are the applications of ferrites? (Nov 2005, May 2015)
(i) Ferrites are used in audio transformers, video transformers, radio receivers etc.,
(ii) They are used in two port devices such as gyrator, circulator and isolator.
(iii) They are used in computers and data processing circuits.
(iv) They are used in switching circuits and parametric amplifiers.
18. Sketch the ordering of atomic magnetic moments in antiferromagnetic materials and
ferrites. (June 2011)
Antiferro magnetic material Ferites

19. Mention the energies involved in domains of ferromagnetic material. (June 2009)
1. Exchange Energy 2. Anisotropic Energy
3. Domain Wall Energy 4. Magnetostriction Energy.
20. Define Energy product of a magnetic material. Give its importance in the case of permanent
magnets.
The product of retentivity and coercivity is called the energy product. It represents the maximum
amount of energy stored in the specimen.
It gives the maximum energy stored in the magnets which helps in distinguishing a weak and strong
magnet. Therefore for permanent magnets the value of energy product should be very high.
21. What is domain theory of ferromagnetism? (Oct 2009)
The domain theory of ferromagnetism is the explanation of the structure and Hysteresis
property of ferromagnetic materials based on the concept of domains proposed by Weiss.
Ferromagnetic material consists of a number of regions called domains which are spontaneously
magnetized due to parallel alignment of all magnetic dipoles. The direction of spontaneous
magnetization varies from domain to domain.
22. What is meant by hysteresis loop? What do you infer from it. (June 2014)
Hysteresis loop represents the behavior of magnetization with respect to a cyclic variation of
applied magnetic field. We can infer the magnetic nature of a material from hysteresis loop.
23. What is anti-ferromagnetism? Give examples of antiferromagnetic materials? (June 2010)
In anti-ferromagnetism, electron spin of neighboring atoms are aligned anti-parallel. Anti-
ferromagnetic susceptibility is small and positive and it depends greatly on temperature.
Ex:-MnO, MnS
24. What are ferrimagnetic materials and mention its properties? (June 2013)
Ferrites which exhibit ferrimagnetism are called ferrimagnetic materials. Susceptibility is positive and
very large, there are equal numbers of opposite spins with different magnitudes such that the
orientation of neighbouring spins is in anti-parallel manner.
25. Why are ferrites advantageous for use as transformer cores? (Dec 2010)
Ferrites are advantageous for use as transformer cores. Reason:
(i) Low HC.
(ii)Low eddy current loss.
26. The magnetic field strength of copper is 106 ampere/metre if the magnetic susceptibility of copper
is -0.8 X 10-5, calculate the magnetic flux density and magentisation in copper?
χ = I/H, I = χ H= 8 ampere/metre
µr = 1+ χ= 0.999
B= µH= µ0 µrH = 1.26 weber/metre2
27. A magnetic field of 1800 ampere/metre produces a magnetic flux of 3X10-5 weber in an iron bar of
cross sectional area 0.2 cm2. Calculate the permeability?
B = ϕ/A=1.5 Weber/m2
µ= B/H= 8.33 X10-4 Henry/metre
28.The saturation magnetic induction of nickel is 0.65 Wb/m2. If the density of Nickel is 8906 kg/m3
and atomic weight is 58.7. Calculate the magnetic moment of the nickel atom in Bohr magneton.
µ m = Bs/ Nµ0 = N = ρ A / atomic weight = 9.14 x 1028 atoms per m3
µ m = 5.66 x 10-24 A m2 =0 .61 µB
29. A paramagnetic material has a magnetic field intensity of 104 A/m. If the susceptibility of the
material at room temperature is 3.7x10-3.Calculate the magnetisation of the material.
χ = I/H,
I = χ H = 3.7x10-3 x 104
= 37 Am-1.
30. What are the properties required for a material to be suitable for making electromagnet? Give
examples.
 Easy to magnetize and demagnetize,
 Low coercivity,
 high permeability
31. What is Giant magnetoresistance and write the applications.

It is a quantum mechanical magnetoresistance effect observed in multilayers composed of
alternating ferromagnetic and non magnetic conducting layers.
The effect is observed as a significant change in the electrical resistance depending on whether the
magnetization of adjacent ferromagnetic layers is in parallel or an antiparallel alignment. This effect is
based on the dependence of electron scattering on the spin orientation. Used in magnetic field sensors,
biosensors.
PART – B
1. i) Discuss the domain structure in ferromagnetic materials. Show how the Hysteresis curve is explained
on the basis of domain theory.
ii) Differentiate soft and hard magnetic materials. (June 2014, May 2015, Jun 2016)
2. Describe the structure of ferrites. How the magnetic moment of ferrite molecule is calculated?
3. Briefly explain different types of magnetic materials and their properties. (May 2015)
4. Explain briefly the structure and applications of ferrites? (June 2016)
5. (i) Distinguish between Ferro, antiferro and ferrimagnetic materials (Nov 2003)
6. (i) What is meant by Hysteresis Loss.
(ii) Describe the formation of Hysteresis Loop using Domain Wall movement.
7. A Magnetic field strength of 2x105 amp/m is applied to a paramagnetic material with relative
permeability of 1.01. Calculate the values of B and M
8. Write short notes on (i) Magnetic HDD (ii) Magnetic bubble memories.
9. The saturation magnetic induction of nickel is 0.65 Wb/m2. If the density of Nickel is 8906 kg / m3and
atomic weight is 58.7. Calculate the magnetic moment of the nickel atom in Bohr magneton.
10. Describe the working of magnetic hard disk based on GMR sensor.
UNIT-IV OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

PART-A
1. What are optical materials? Give its types.
The optical property of any given material is defined as its interaction with electromagnetic
radiation in the visible region.
 Transparent material : They transmit more light.
 Transculent material : Transmit light partially.
 Opaque material : They will not transmit light.
2. What is an optoelectronic device?
The device in which the photons interact with the electron is called an optoelectronic device.
3. What do you mean by carrier generation? and recombination process?
Generation, under influence of light absorption for example, promotes electrons from the valence
band to the conduction band, resulting in a new free electron in the CB, and a new hole in the VB.
Recombination is essentially the reverse process, in which an electron returns to the valence band,
giving up it electronic potential energy to a photon, or a third carrier, or to phonons.
4. What is absorption of light?
Absorption of light takes place when matter captures electromagnetic radiation, converting the
energy of photons to internal energy. Energy is transferred from the radiation to the absorbing species.
The amount of energy carried by a light photon depends on its wavelength.
5. What is Emission of light?
Emission is a process in which a higher energy quantum mechanical state of particle is converted
into lower energy state with the help of emission of a photon.
6. What is transmission of light?
The process in which light is neither reflected nor absorbed by materials.
7. What is scattering of light?
It is the process by which the intensity of the wave attenuates as it travels through a medium.

8. What are the types of scattering?

Rayleigh scattering: As photon strikes the electron, the photon gets deflected without any change in
its energy.
Tyndall Effect: When light is passed through colloids, the individual suspension particles scatter the
light making them to be visible.
Compton scattering: As photon strikes a given optical material it displaces an electron from its
original location thus losing some of its energy.
Photo electric effect: The photon energy is used to release an electron from the atom of the nucleus.
9. Define skin depth and skin layer.
When light passes through metals it produces conduction current. The maximum distance upto
which it can travel in the metal is called skin depth and last layer inside the metal upto which the
conduction current passes is called shin layer.
10. What are the types of carrier generations?
 Photo generation
 Phonon generation
 Impact ionization
11. What are the types of recombination process?
 Radiative Recombination
 Shockley- Read –Hall Recombination
 Auger Recombination
12. What is a photo diode?
It is a reverse biased P-N junction diode which responds to light absorption.
13. Write the principle behind photo diode?
When light is incident on the depletion region of the reversed biased pn junction, the concentration
of minority carriers increases. Therefore, reverse saturation current increases.
14. Distinguish between Fluorescence and Phosphorescence.
S.No. Fluorescence Phosphorescence
The time taken for the excitation of an atom The time taken for the excitation of an atom
1 will be equal to the time for which the will be lesser than the time for which the
luminescence persists. luminescence persists.
2 Luminescence persists for a short period. Luminescence persists for a longer time.
The materials which exhibit fluorescence are The materials which exhibit phosphorescence
3
called fluorescent materials. are called phosphors.
15. Define luminescence?
When an atom in an excited state returns to ground state by emitting light.
16. What is meant by injection luminescence?
When the majority carriers are injected from p to n and n to p region, they become excess minority
carriers. Then there minority carriers diffuses away from the junction and recombines with the majority
carriers in p and n regions and emits light. .
17. What is a solar cell?
It is a P-N junction diode which converts solar energy to electrical energy.
18. Explain the working principle of a Solar cell.
Conversion of light energy in electrical energy is based on a phenomenon called photovoltaic
effect. When semiconductor materials are exposed to light, the some of the photons of light ray are
absorbed by the semiconductor crystal which causes significant number of free electrons in the crystal.
This is the basic reason of producing electricity due to photovoltaic effect.
19. How is the photocurrent generated in photo diodes?
When a photon of ample energy strikes the diode, it makes a couple of an electron-hole. This
mechanism is also called as the inner photoelectric effect. If the absorption arises in the depletion region
junction, then the carriers are removed from the junction by the inbuilt electric field of the depletion

region. Therefore, holes in the region move toward the anode, and electrons move toward the cathode, and
a photocurrent will be generated.
20. What is LED? List out the features of LED.
LED is a Light emitting diode which emits light when it is forward biased.
1. Lower energy consumption.
2. Longer life time.
3. Better physical robustness.
4. Smaller/handy size
5. High switching rate.
21. What is the basic principle behind LED?
The injection of electron into the p region from n region makes a direct transition from the
conduction band to valance band then the electrons recombine with the holes and emit photons of energy
Eg. where Eg= hν.
22. What are the advantages of LEDs?
(i) They are smaller in size and long life time.
(ii) Low drive voltage and low noise.
(iii) It is easily interfaced to digital logic circuits.
(iv) Can be operated in wide range of temperatures.
23. What are the disadvantages of LEDs?
(i) Requires high power.
(ii) Preparation cost is high when compared to LCDs.
24. What are the applications of LEDs?
(i) Used as indicator lamps
(ii) Light sources in fiber optic communication system.
(iii) Used in image sensing circuits for picture phone.
25. Why group III and group V elements alone should be chosen for manufacturing LEDs?
If the wavelength of the light emitted has to lie in the visible region, energy band gap of the
material chosen should have the range from 1.723 to 3.101eV. Since the intermediate compounds of group
III and group V has Eg between these ranges.
26. What is Organic Light Emitting Diodes or OLED?
OLEDs are solid state devices made up of thin films of organic molecules that produce light with
the application of electricity.
27. Compare LED with OLED.
S.No LED OLED
1. Emits light while conducting Self-illuminating since organic materials are used
2. Small viewing angle Wide viewing angle
3. Less efficient More efficient
4. Broad and heavy Light and thin
5. Less expensive More expensive
28. What are laser diodes?
A laser diode, also known as an injection laser or diode laser, is a semiconductor device that
produces coherent radiation (in which the waves are all at the same frequency and phase) in the visible
or infrared (IR) spectrum when current passes through it.
29. What is meant by optical data storage?
Optical storage devices use a laser to burn small, dark pits into the surface of a disk. The pits are
dark and the places without pits remain shiny and smooth. Binary codes can be stored to dark shiny places
on the storage medium. Since the information can be stored in optical meant, it is called optical data
storage.
30. List out the various data storage techniques.
CD- ROM, CD-RW, DVD, Blu-ray disks, Magneto optical disk and Holography.
31. What are activators and co- activators?
Activators : The impurity ions which leads to the production of traps are called activators.

Co- activators: The ionic charges present along with the impurities are called Co- activators.
32. How an LED can be converted into laser diode?
In semiconductor diodes if the emission is not stimulated, the device is called LED. To convert
LED into laser diode, high current density is required to achieve population inversion and the opposite
surface should be polished.
33. What are the advantages of optical data storage?
Immune to dust, high storage capacity, removable and relatively inexpensive.
34. How are DVD classified?
S.No Types of DVD Storage capacity
1. Single layer DVDs 4.7 GB
2. Double layer DVDs 8.5 GB
3. Double sided DVDs 17 GB
4. HD- DVD 15 GB
5. Double layer HD-DVD 30 GB
35. Distinguish between magnetic and optical storage devices.
S.No Magnetic storage devices Optical storage devices
1. Data are stored using magnetic Data are stored using optical principle
principle
2. Access time is slow Very fast
3. Ex: Floppy disk Ex: CD’s
36. Distinguish between photography and holography.
S.No Photography Holography
1. Ordinary light is used Laser light is used
2. It gives 2D pictures It gives 3D pictures
3. Lens is used No lens is used
37. Explain the importance of holographic storage.
 Each point of an object is recorded on the whole hologram
 From each piece of a hologram we can reconstruct a image
 The phase and amplitude information in the reflected waves from the object are completely
recorded in the hologram.
38. Why is the shape of LED made hemispherical?
In planar LED’s the emitted light strikes the material interface at an angle greater than the
critical angle and the reflection loss will be very high. Therefore, to minimize the reflection loss,
hemispherical dome shaped LED is made, in which the angle at which the emitted light strikes the interface
can be made less than the critical angle.
PART-B
1. (i) What are the types of optical materials?
(ii) Further explain the phenomenon of absorption, emission and scattering.
2. Explain the principle, construction and working of a photodiode.
3. Explain the principle and working of a quantum dot laser.
4. Explain the working of LED. What are the types of LED? Explain the advantages.
5. (i) Explain the construction and working of LASER Diode.
(ii) Compare photodiode with laser diode.
6. (i) Describe the principle, construction working of solar cell.
(ii) Give the advantages, disadvantages and application of solar cell.
7. (i) What is meant by optical data storage?
(ii) List out the different types of optical storage techniques and describe any one in detail.
8. (i) What is meant by CD?
(ii) Explain how data can be recorded in and read out from a CD/DVD.

UNIT V- NANO DEVICES

PART – A
1. Define nano materials.
Nanophase materials are newly developed materials with grain size at the nanometer range (10-9 m),
i.e., in the order of 1-100 nm. The particle size in a nano material is 1 nm.
2. Define density of states.
According to Fermi-Dirac statics there exist allowed energy levels where each energy level and its
associated wave function are defined as a state. Density of states is defined as the number of states in a
conductor per unit energy.
3. The density of states for a quantum dot depends on what?
Depends on Dirac-Delta function.𝑧(𝐸) = ∑𝑛 2𝛿√(𝐸 − 𝐸𝑛 )
4. Define Fermi energy?
It is defined as the highest energy level occupied by the electron at 0 K in a metal.
5. What is radial probability density?
The probability of finding an electron at a particular distance from the nucleus
6. What is exciton Bohr radius?
The excess of holes being confined into a dimension there by leading to a critical quantum
measurement called exciton Bohr radius.
7. What is the bearance of the size of the material on the Fermi energy?
As the confining dimension for the fundamental particles is decreased, the energy state and the
corresponding spectrum start becoming discrete.
8. What is the assumption that necessary for evaluating the density of states?
According to Pauli’s exclusion principle maximum of two electrons can occupy in each energy
states one with spin up and the other with spin down.
9. Write the expression for density of states for different quantum confinements.
𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑓
For 2 dimensions Z(E)2D= 𝜋ℎ̅2
1 𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑓
For 1 dimension Z(E)1D= ̅ℎ {√2(𝐸−𝐸𝑐 )}
For 0 dimension Z(E)0D = 2δ(𝐸 − 𝐸𝑐 )
10. Define the term Quantum confinement.
If the volume of the solid is reduced to an extent such that the energy levels inside become discrete,
then the process is called quantum confinement.
11. What is quantum structure?
When a bulk material is reduced in its size, at least one of its dimensions in the order of few
nanometers, then the structure is known as quantum structures.
12. What is size quantization effect?
In metals and semiconductor nano particles the band structure gradually evolved with increasing
particle size as molecular orbitals get converted to delocalized band states. This is called size quantization
effect.
13. Define the terms quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot.
Quantum well: The minimal width within which the electrons are confined and possessing two
degrees of freedom.
Quantum wire: Further constrained from the depth of quantum well by possessing one degree of
freedom of electrons is termed as quantum wire.
Quantum dot: When all the three dimensions are minimized Quantum dot is created.
14. What is a single electron phenomenon?
Generally transistors require 10,000 electrons. Rather than moving many electrons through
transistors, it may very well be practical and necessary to move electrons one at a time. The phenomenon is
known as single electron phenomena.

15. What is single electron transistor (SET)?

Single electron transistor (SET) is similar to conventional field–effect transistor. It is a three
terminal switching device, which can transfer electrons from source to drain one by one.
16. Define Coulomb-Blockade effect.
The charging effect which blocks the injection or rejection of a single charge into or from a
quantum dot is called Coulomb-Blockade effect.
17. What is single electron tunneling?
The quantization of charge can dominate and tunneling of single electrons across leaky capacitors
carries the current is called single electron tunneling.
18. What are the advantages of single electron transistor?
 The fast information transfer velocity between cells is carried out via electrostatic interactions.
 Single electron transistor is highly suitable for high density memory.
 It can be used for next generation quantum computers.
19. List out the applications of Single electron transistor.
 Variety of digital logic functions, including AND or NOR gates, is obtained based on SET
operating at room temperature.
 It is used for mass data storage
 It is used in highly sensitive electrometer
 To control the tunneling of electrons into and out of the quantum dot.
 Used in charge sensors, IR detectors, microwave detectors, temperature standard.
20. What is the energy gap of semiconductor CNTs?
Energy gap is inversely proportional to the diameter of the CNT.
21. What is resonant tunneling?
The incident frequency matches with energy of quantum well.
22. What is meant by bulk material?
Bulk material is a collection of atoms having property that are from individual atom.
23. What is quantum mechanical tunneling?
The quantum mechanical tunneling is the phenomenon where in electrons tunnels through the
potential well despite not having required energy to cross it. This phenomenon is probalistic in nature and
happens under special conditions.
24. How does the band gap of a semiconductor change with particle size?
The spacing of the electronic levels and the band gap increases with decreasing particle size. This is
because electron-hole pairs are how much closer together and the Coulombic interaction between them no
longer be neglected giving an internal increasing kinetic energy.
25. What is the principle of quantum dot laser?
Any energy pumped into the system leads to excitation of carriers between levels and not random
motion. This leads to greater efficiency of the laser. A frequently used arrangement consists of layers of
vertically stacked quantum dots placed between confined hetero structures to achieve optical confinement.
26. List the advantages of quantum dot laser.
 Emit light at wavelengths that correspond to energy levels of the dots.
 Maximized material and differential gain.
 Small active volume,
 High frequency operation.
 Dot size can be changed to broaden range of light emission.
27. What are drawbacks of quantum dot laser?
 Fabrication process is complicated leading to non-homogenous size and shape of the quantum
dot laser.
 There is a carrier leakage out of the quantum dot due to finite barrier height.
 High material gain but low optical confinement factor leads to low model gain.
28. What is Ballistic transport and when it takes place?
When devices are having structures in the nano scale, the length involved can be so small that the
electrons involved do not get scattered during the time they take to travel through the device. If L represents
the length of the conductor and l represents the electron mean free path in the material, then such a situation
can exists for condition, L<< l. Carrier transport under this condition is known as ballistic transport.
29. What are metallic nano wires?
Metallic nano wires are made up of metals, which possess thickness or diameter in the range from
1-100 nm. It is a typical example of two dimensional nano particles.
30. What are CNTs?
Carbon nano tubes (CNTs) are molecular- scale tubes of graphitic carbon having outstanding
properties. They are among the stiffest and strongest fibres known, and have remarkable electronic
properties.
They belong to the fullerence structural family. CNTs are allotropes of carbon with a nanostructure
that can have a length-to-diameter ratio of upto 28,000,000:1 which significantly larger than any other
material.
31. Write the physical properties of CNTs.
 CNTs are one of the strongest and stiffest materials known, in terms of tensile strength and
elastic modulus respectively.
 They can recover from severe structural distortions due to their ability to rehybridize.
32. Write some electrical properties of CNTs.
 CNTs can be either metallic or semiconducting, depending upon the chirality.
For example, the armchair form is metallic, whereas the zigzag form.is found to be
semiconducting.
 The energy gap of semiconducting CNTs inversely proportional to the diameter of the tube.
The energy band gap can also be affected by localized defects.
33. Mention some thermal properties of CNTs.
 It is predicted that CNTs will be able to achieve conductivities up to 20 times more than that of
copper, a metal well known for its conductivity.
 The temperature stability of CNTs is estimated to be up to 2800 ˚C in vacuum and about 750 ˚C
in air.
34. Mention the types of carbon nano tube structure.
Three types of nanotube structures are considered by rolling the graphite sheet with different
orientations about the axis. They are,
(i) Armchair structure
(ii) Zig-Zag structure
(iii) Chiral structure
35. How carbon nanotubes are classified?
Based on the number of layers, the carbon nanotubes are classified as
(i) Single-walled (SWNTs)
(ii) Multi-walled (MWNTs)
In multi-walled nanotubes, more than one CNTs are coaxially arranged.
36. List some applications of CNTs.
Electrical circuits: Due to their unusual current conduction mechanism, CNTs make ideal
components in electrical circuits. They are used in terahertz sources (switching instruments) and
sensors.
CNT composite: A plastic composite of CNT has been shown to act as a lightweight shielding
material against electromagnetic radiations.
Computer applications: CNTs can be used to develop switching devices for use in computers.
Fibres and fabrics: Fibres spun of pure CNTs, along with CNT composite fibres, have exceptional
mechanical strength. Such super-strong fibres have many applications, such as in body and vehicle
armour, transmission line cables, woven fabrics, and stain-resistant textiles.
37. What we will observe when we decrease the size of the particle to nano size?
If we decrease the size of the particle to nano size, the decrease in confining size creates the energy
levels discrete. The formation of discrete energy levels increases or widens up the band gap and finally the
band gap energy also increases.

PART – B
1. Derive the expression for the density of states for different quantum confinements.
2. Explain quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot.
3. Explain the single electron phenomenon and working of single electron transistor.
4. Describe the properties and applications of carbon nano tubes.
5. Explain the types and methods of preparation of carbon nano tubes.
6. Explain construction and working of quantum dot laser.
7. Derive an expression for about quantum conductance and quantum resistance.
8. Write short notes on quantum tunneling.
9. Write a short note on band gap of nano materials.

Electrical Properties of Matter in 10 Second

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Electrical Properties of Matter in 10 Second

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Code &Subject: PH8252 & Physics for Information Science, Dept.

Name : PHYSICS Academic Year : 2017- 2018

UNIT I: ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 2

26. What is Lorentz number?

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 3

38. What is electron theory of solids?

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 4

UNIT II SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 5

8. Differentiate indirect band gap and direct band gap of semiconductors.

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 6

24. Define Hall Effect and Hall Voltage? (June 2016)

39. What is meant by drift current?

UNIT – III-MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 10

7. What are the requirements of a transformer core material?

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 11

31. What is Giant magnetoresistance and write the applications.

UNIT-IV OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 13

8. What are the types of scattering?

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 14

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 15

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 16

UNIT V- NANO DEVICES

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 17

15. What is single electron transistor (SET)?

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 19

St.Joseph’s College of Engineering/St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology 20

You might also like