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A pure Si crystal has 5×10²⁸ atoms m⁻³. It is doped by 1 ppm concentration of pentavalent As. Calculate the number of electrons and holes. Given that nᵢ=1.5×10¹⁶ m⁻³.

Asked in GUJCET 2020 · Doping and carrier concentration

Answer: (3) 4.5×10⁹ m⁻³

Step-by-step solution

Given: 5×10²⁸ Si atoms m⁻³, doped 1 ppm with pentavalent As, and nᵢ=1.5×10¹⁶ m⁻³.

Idea: each pentavalent donor releases one electron, and whatever the doping the two densities obey nₑ nₕ=nᵢ².

One part per million of the silicon atoms is replaced, so the donor density is n_D=5×10²⁸×10⁻⁶=5×10²² m⁻³.

At room temperature every donor is ionised, and n_D swamps nᵢ, so the electron density is nₑ≈ n_D=5×10²² m⁻³.

The holes then follow from the mass-action law: nₕ=(nᵢ²)/(nₑ)=((1.5×10¹⁶)²)/(5×10²²)=(2.25×10³²)/(5×10²²).

So nₕ=4.5×10⁹ m⁻³ -- the density the options quote -- while nₑ=5×10²² m⁻³. Doping has raised the electrons by more than six powers of ten and pushed the holes down by nearly seven.

Why the other options are wrong

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