Electrical Engineering › Section P · Semiconductor theory, diodes, and transistors › Topic P.2
Electrons, holes, the P-N junction, and junction diodes
A semiconductor carries current two ways: free electrons in the conduction band and holes in the valence band. Put p-type and n-type silicon together in one crystal and the boundary becomes a one-way gate, the P-N junction at the heart of every diode and transistor.
In this topic
- Two kinds of carrier
- What a hole is
- Generation, recombination, and mobility
- Majority and minority carriers
- Worked example: minority carriers
- Worked example: resistance of a doped bar
- Forming the junction
- Forward and reverse bias
- The junction diode and its curve
- Inside real diodes, and before them
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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