Question

At room temperature, a p-type semiconductor has

• A. large number of holes and few electrons
• B. large number of free electrons and few holes
• C. equal number of free electrons and holes
• D. no electrons or holes

Hint:

Trivalent doping creates many holes, while thermal generation leaves only a few free electrons.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept
A p-type semiconductor is made by doping an intrinsic semiconductor with a trivalent impurity. Each impurity atom creates a hole.

Step 2: Carrier concentrations
At room temperature, thermal energy also produces a few electron-hole pairs.
So holes are the majority carriers and electrons are the minority carriers, with \(n_h\gg n_e\).

Step 3: Compare the options
This is described by option (A): a large number of holes and few electrons.

Final Answer:
A p-type semiconductor has many holes and few electrons. \[ \boxed{\text{(A) }\text{large number of holes and few electrons}} \]