ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION
OHMS LAW - it states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to
the potential difference across the two points. I = V/R
Electrical Resistivity It states how strong a material can oppose the flow of electric current.
Electrical Conductivity It measures a materials ability to conduct an electric current. It is the reciprocal
of electrical resistivity.
Classifications of solid materials according to electrical conductivity
Metals good conductors
Insulators low conductivity
Semiconductors intermediate conductivity
Energy Band Structures
Electron Band Structure It is the arrangement of the outer most electron bands and the way in
which they are filled with electrons.
1
st
structure - one outermost band is only partially filled with electrons
2
nd
structure - there is an overlap of an empty band and filled band
3
rd
and 4
th
structure the valence band is completely filled with electrons is separated from an
empty conduction band, and an energy band gap lies between them

Conduction in terms of Band and Atomic Bonding Models
Only electrons with energies greater than the Fermi energy may be acted on and accelerated in
the presence of an electric field.
Free electrons electrons that participate in the conduction process
Holes missing electrons from the valence band as a positively charged particle

Electron Mobility
Frictional Forces - Free electrons being acted on by an electric field are scattered by
imperfections in the crystal lattice including impurity atoms, vacancies, interstitial atoms,
dislocations, and even the thermal vibrations of the atoms themselves.
Parameters describing the extent of this scattering
Drift velocity average electron velocity in the direction of the force imposed by the
applied force
Electron mobility - how quickly an electron can move through a metal or semiconductor


Electrical Resistivity of Metals
Temperature resistivity rises linearly
Impurities related to impurity concentrations in terms of atom fraction
Plastic Deformation raises resistivity as a result of increased numbers of electron-scattering
dislocation
Matthiessens rule contribution of each to the total resistivity is additive

SEMICONDUCTIVITY
Intrinsic Semiconductor is a pure semiconductor without any significant dopant species present
Dopant is a trace impurity element that is inserted into a substance (in very low
concentrations) in order to alter the electrical properties or the optical properties of the
substance
Extrinsic Semiconductor is a semiconductor that has been doped giving it different electrical properties
than the intrinsic semiconductor
N type extrinsic semiconduction - Extrinsic semiconductors with a larger electron concentration
than hole concentration
Donor have more valence electrons than the atoms they replace in the intrinsic
semiconductor lattice
P type extrinsic semiconduction - Extrinsic semiconductors with larger hole concentration that
electron concentration
Acceptor have fewer valence electrons than the atoms they replace in the intrinsic
semiconductor lattice
Factors that affect carrier mobility
Dopant Content both mobilities decrease with increasing impurity content
Temperature both mobilities decrease in magnitude with increasing temperature