n-type semiconductor

Silicon doped with arsenic

A semiconductor produced by doping an intrinsic semiconductor with an electron-donor impurity – for example, arsenic or phosphorus in silicon. Both arsenic and phosphorus are in Group V of the periodic table, meaning that they have five outer electrons compared with silicon's four. Hence, each impurity atom can donate one electron which is available for carrying a current. Compare with p-type semiconductor.

Related category

• ELECTRONICS AND SEMICONDUCTORS

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