1. Holes are charge carriers in which one of the following?

a) Intrinsic semiconductors

b) Ionic solids

c) n-type semiconductors

d) Metals

a) Intrinsic Semiconductor

2. At absolute zero, Si acts as which of the following?

a) Non-metal

b) Metal

c) Insulator

d) Capacitor

c) Insulator

3. In a pure semiconductor crystal, if current flows due to breakage of crystal bonds, then what is the
semiconductor called?

a) Acceptor

b) Donor

c) Intrinsic semiconductor

d) Extrinsic semiconductor

c) Intrinsic semiconductor

4. According to Fermi Dirac distribution, when E>Ef, the f(E) is

a) 1

b) 0

c) 0.5

d) 1.5

b) 0
5. The probability of electrons to be found in the conduction band of an intrinsic semiconductor at finite
temperature is which of the following?

a) Increases exponentially with the increasing bandgap

b) Decreases exponentially with the increasing bandgap

c) Decreases with increasing temperature

d) Is independent of the temperature and the bandgap

b) Decreases exponentially with the increasing bandgap

1. On doping germanium metal, with a little amount of indium, what does one get?

a) Intrinsic semiconductor

b) Insulator

c) n-type semiconductor

d) p-type semiconductor

d) P-type semiconductor

2. Which of the following statements is true about extrinsic semiconductors?

a) The gap between the conduction band and the valence bond is more than 16 eV
b) The gap between the conduction band and the valence bond is about 1 eV
c) The gap between the conduction band and valence band is 100 eV and more
d) The conduction band and the valence band overlap.

(b) The gap between the conduction band and the valence bond is about 1 eV

3. What bonds are present in a semiconductor?

a) Monovalent
b) Bivalent
c) Trivalent
d) Covalent

e) Covalent

4. In a p-type semiconductor, the acceptor valence band is

a) close to the valence band of the host crystal

b) close to the conduction band of the host crystal
c) below the conduction band of the host crystal
d) above the conduction band of the host crystal

a) close to the valence band of the host crystal

5. Which of the following, when added as an impurity, into the silicon, produces n-type semiconductor?

a) Phosphorous

b) Aluminum

c) Magnesium

d) Sulfur

a) Phosphorous

1. Which equation represents the Continuity equation for carrier transport in semiconductors?
a) ∇ · J = qDn ∇n + qDp ∇p
b) ∇ · J = qDn ∇n - qDp ∇p
c) ∇ · J = qDn ∇p - qDp ∇n
d) ∇ · J = q(Dn ∇n + Dp ∇p)
Answer: a) ∇ · J = qDn ∇n + qDp ∇p
2. In which direction do majority carriers diffuse in a semiconductor under thermal equilibrium?
a) From the p-region to the n-region
b) From the n-region to the p-region
c) No diffusion of majority carriers
d) Diffusion direction depends on the type of semiconductor
Answer: c) No diffusion of majority carriers
3. The drift current in a semiconductor is caused by:
a) Diffusion of majority carriers
b) Thermal motion of majority carriers
c) Drift of majority carriers under an electric field
d) Drift of minority carriers under an electric field
Answer: c) Drift of majority carriers under an electric field
4. In a p-n junction diode, the majority carriers in the p-region are:
a) Electrons
b) Holes
c) Both electrons and holes
d) No majority carriers
Answer: b) Holes
5. Which of the following is a correct expression for the total current density in a semiconductor
considering both drift and diffusion components?
a) J = q(Dn ∇n + Dp ∇p + μn n E + μp p E)
b) J = q(Dn ∇n - Dp ∇p + μn n E + μp p E)
c) J = q(Dn ∇n + Dp ∇p - μn n E + μp p E)
d) J = q(Dn ∇n + Dp ∇p + μn n E - μp p E)
Answer: a) J = q(Dn ∇n + Dp ∇p + μn n E + μp p E)

1. What is the major mechanism responsible for the formation of the depletion region in a p-n junction?
a) Diffusion of majority carriers
b) Drift of majority carriers
c) Diffusion of minority carriers
d) Drift of minority carriers
Answer: a) Diffusion of majority carriers
2. In forward biasing of a p-n junction diode, the external voltage applied:
a) Reduces the width of the depletion region
b) Increases the width of the depletion region
c) Eliminates the depletion region completely
d) Has no effect on the depletion region
Answer: a) Reduces the width of the depletion region
3. What happens to the majority carrier concentration in the p and n regions under forward biasing?
a) Increases in both p and n regions
b) Decreases in both p and n regions
c) Increases in the p-region and decreases in the n-region
d) Decreases in the p-region and increases in the n-region
Answer: c) Increases in the p-region and decreases in the n-region
4. In reverse biasing of a p-n junction diode, the external voltage applied:
a) Reduces the width of the depletion region
b) Increases the width of the depletion region
c) Eliminates the depletion region completely
d) Has no effect on the depletion region
Answer: b) Increases the width of the depletion region
5. Under reverse biasing, the current in a p-n junction diode is primarily due to:
a) Drift of majority carriers
b) Diffusion of majority carriers
c) Drift of minority carriers
d) Diffusion of minority carriers
Answer: c) Drift of minority carriers

1. What type of contact is formed between a metal and a semiconductor when the barrier height is
small, and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic is linear?
a) Ohmic contact
b) Schottky contact
c) Junction contact
d) Non-ohmic contact
Answer: a) Ohmic contact
2. In an Ohmic contact, the current flowing through the metal-semiconductor junction is primarily due
to:
a) Majority carrier diffusion
b) Majority carrier drift
c) Minority carrier diffusion
d) Minority carrier drift
Answer: a) Majority carrier diffusion
3. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of an Ohmic contact?
a) High Schottky barrier height
b) Nonlinear I-V characteristic
c) Low contact resistance
d) Formation of a depletion region
Answer: c) Low contact resistance
4. When the barrier height at a metal-semiconductor junction is high, and the I-V characteristic is
nonlinear, what type of contact is formed?
a) Ohmic contact
b) Schottky contact
c) Junction contact
d) Non-ohmic contact
Answer: b) Schottky contact
5. The formation of an Ohmic contact between a metal and a semiconductor is favored when:
a) The work function of the metal is smaller than the electron affinity of the semiconductor.
b) The work function of the metal is greater than the electron affinity of the semiconductor.
c) The work function of the metal is equal to the electron affinity of the semiconductor.
d) The work function of the metal is equal to the bandgap of the semiconductor.
Answer: a) The work function of the metal is smaller than the electron affinity of the semiconductor.

1. In a silicon diode under forward bias, the diffusion current density is found to be 20 A/cm 2, and the
drift current density is 10 A/cm2. Calculate the total current density flowing through the diode.
a) 5 A/cm2
b) 10 A/cm2
c) 20 A/cm2
d) 30 A/cm2
Answers: d) 30 A/cm2
2. A semiconductor has a work function of 4.5 eV, and a metal with a work function of 3.8 eV is in
contact with it. Determine the barrier height at the metal-semiconductor junction.
a) 0.7 eV
b) 0.8 eV
c) 0.9 eV
d) 1.0 eV
Answers: c) 0.9 eV
3. A p-n junction diode is connected in a circuit with a 12V battery in the forward bias configuration. If
the diode's forward voltage drop is 0.7V, calculate the voltage across the diode.
a) 12.7V
b) 11.3V
c) 0.5V
d) 12V
Answers: b) 11.3V
4. The electron current density in a semiconductor is given by Jn = q * n * μn * E, where Jn is the
current density, q is the charge of an electron, n is the electron concentration, μn is the electron
mobility, and E is the electric field. If the electron concentration is 1.5 x 10 15 cm3, the electron mobility
is 1200 cm2/Vs, and the electric field is 200 V/cm, calculate the electron current density.
a) 3.6 x 10-3 A/cm2
b) 3.0 x 10-3 A/cm2
c) 4.0 x 10-3 A/cm2
d) 2.5 x 10-3 A/cm2
Answers: a) 3.6 x 10-3A/cm2
5. A metal with a work function of 4.2 eV is in contact with an n-type semiconductor with an electron
affinity of 4.8 eV. Determine if an ohmic contact is formed at the metal-semiconductor junction.
a) Yes
b) No
Answers: b) No

What are intrinsic semiconductors and how does this behave at absolute zero temperature?.
The intrinsic semiconductors are pure semiconductor which contains relatively small amounts of
impurities compared with the thermally generated electrons and holes.
At absolute temperate, the number of electron and hole is same

What is intrinsic semiconductor? Draw the energy band diagram of intrinsic semiconductor.

Intrinsic semiconductor is pure semiconductor which contains equal number of electron and hole.
What is N-Type semiconductor? Does it form electron-hole pair by breaking covalent band at high
temperature.

N – type semiconductor
When penta-valent impurity is added to the intrinsic semiconductors, n type semi conductors
are formed

n - type semiconductor At T = 0K
 At T > 0K At T =300K

If the thermal energy is sufficiently high, in addition to the ionization of donor

impurity atoms, breaking of covalent bonds may also occur thereby giving
rise to generation of electron hole pair.
Where does locate fermi level in N-Type semiconductor. Sketch the variation of Fermi level with donor
concentration with temperature

Fermi energy
The Fermi energy for n – type semiconductor is given by

At 0 K,

Variation of Fermi level with donor concentration with

temperature
1. Discuss the key terms in the continuity equation for charge carriers in a semiconductor?
Answer:
The key terms in the continuity equation for charge carriers in a semiconductor are:
a) Carrier Concentration (n): Represents the number of charge carriers (electrons or holes) per unit
volume in the semiconductor material. The continuity equation describes how the carrier concentration
changes with time and space due to generation and recombination processes.
b) Carrier Current Density (J_n): Denotes the flow of charge carriers per unit cross-sectional area in a
specific direction. The divergence of the carrier current density (∇ · J_n) represents the net flow of
carriers in or out of a region, influencing the change in carrier concentration.
2. What is a Schottky diode, and how does it differ from a regular p-n junction diode?
Answer:
A Schottky diode is a type of semiconductor diode that forms a metal-semiconductor junction instead
of a p-n junction. In a Schottky diode, a metal electrode is in direct contact with a semiconductor
material, typically n-type or p-type silicon. The metal-semiconductor interface forms a Schottky
barrier, which acts as a rectifying contact. The key difference between a Schottky diode and a regular
p-n junction diode is in their mode of conduction.
In a regular p-n junction diode, the conduction is based on the diffusion and drift of minority charge
carriers across the junction, leading to the formation of a depletion region and the potential barrier. In
contrast, in a Schottky diode, conduction primarily relies on the thermionic emission of majority charge
carriers over the Schottky barrier. The absence of a depletion region and reliance on majority carriers
result in faster switching speeds and lower forward voltage drops compared to p-n junction diodes.

1. Define a p-n junction and explain how it is formed in a semiconductor material?

Answer:
A p-n junction is a boundary formed between a p-type semiconductor region and
an n-type semiconductor region within a single semiconductor crystal. The p-type region has an excess
of positively charged holes, while the n-type region has an excess of negatively charged electrons. The
p-n junction is formed by bringing these two regions in contact during the semiconductor material's
fabrication process. This interaction creates a depletion region at the interface, which acts as a barrier
for charge carriers and results in unique electrical properties, making it an essential component in
semiconductor devices.
2. What is the key mechanism behind the rectifying behavior of a p-n junction diode? Briefly explain
how it allows current flow in one direction and blocks it in the other.
Answer:
The rectifying behavior of a p-n junction diode is primarily due to the formation of
a depletion region and the potential barrier at the junction. When a positive voltage (forward bias) is
applied to the p-n junction diode, it reduces the potential barrier, allowing majority carriers (holes in
the p-region and electrons in the n-region) to move across the junction and conduct current. This
forward current flow results from the diffusion and drift of minority carriers across the junction,
resulting in low resistance and allowing current flow in the forward direction.
Conversely, when a negative voltage (reverse bias) is applied, it widens the depletion region and
increases the potential barrier. This configuration prevents significant current flow as it opposes the
movement of majority carriers. The reverse current that flows under reverse bias is minimal, primarily
due to minority carrier drift and thermally generated carriers, resulting in a high resistance and
effectively blocking the current flow in the reverse direction.

1. Explain the importance of Ohmic contacts in semiconductor devices and their role in efficient carrier
injection.
2. Describe the mechanisms involved in creating an Ohmic contact.

1. Answer:
Ohmic contacts play a crucial role in semiconductor devices as they provide a low-resistance electrical
junction between metal electrodes and semiconductor materials. The efficient injection and extraction
of charge carriers at the metal-semiconductor interface are essential for the proper operation of many
semiconductor devices.

2. Mechanisms of Creating Ohmic Contacts:

An Ohmic contact is typically achieved by heavily doping the semiconductor near the metal interface.
This high doping concentration creates a highly conductive region, reducing the energy barrier between
the metal and semiconductor. As a result, the majority carriers (either electrons or holes) can easily
flow across the interface without significant hindrance.
Problem 1:
In a semiconductor material, the carrier generation rate (G) is 10^16 cm^-3s^-1 and the carrier
recombination rate (R) is 5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1 in a certain region. Calculate the time rate of change of
carrier concentration (∂n/∂t) for this region using the continuity equation.

Problem 2:
A semiconductor diode is biased with a forward voltage of 0.7 V, and the carrier current density (J_n)
across the diode junction is 100 A/cm². Assuming the diode operates under steady-state conditions,
determine the net generation rate (G) of carriers within the diode junction using the continuity equation.
1. Answer
Carrier generation rate (G) = 10^16 cm^-3s^-1
Carrier recombination rate (R) = 5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1
To calculate the time rate of change of carrier concentration (∂n/∂t) using the continuity equation, we
use the formula:
∂n/∂t = G - R
∂n/∂t = (10^16 cm^-3s^-1) - (5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1)
∂n/∂t = 10^16 cm^-3s^-1 - 5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1
∂n/∂t = 5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1
So, the time rate of change of carrier concentration (∂n/∂t) for this region is 5 x 10^15 cm^-3s^-1.

2. Answer
Given data:
Forward voltage (V) = 0.7 V
Carrier current density (J_n) = 100 A/cm²
Under steady-state conditions, the continuity equation simplifies to:

∇ · J_n = G - R
Since it is a forward-biased diode, there is no net recombination (R ≈ 0) within the diode junction.
Therefore, the equation becomes:

∇ · J_n = G
We are asked to find the net generation rate (G) of carriers.
As the diode is forward-biased, the carrier current density is in the forward direction. So:

∇ · J_n = d(J_n)/dx
where d(J_n)/dx represents the rate of change of carrier current density in the x-direction (forward
direction).
Since we know the carrier current density (J_n) is 100 A/cm², we can write:
d(J_n)/dx = 100 A/cm²
So, the net generation rate (G) of carriers within the diode junction is 100 A/cm².
These are the answers to the 2-mark problems on the topic of the continuity equation. I hope this helps!
Let me know if you have any more questions or need further clarification.