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Why is semiconductor used for current instead of normal conductor materials?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
The kind of material used in a device depends on its requirements and functions. Semiconductors are used where we need moderate conductivity, conductors are used where we need very high conductivity.
Junction diodes(a semiconductor device) allows electricity to pass in one direction and can be used as rectifier. Conductors can't do this. Transistors and LED are other applications of semiconductor.
Note that generally devices are made of both conductors and semiconductors.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agobecause semiconductor used in forward and reverse bias condition,where as normal conductors used only in forward bias condition
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What is an intrinsic semiconductor and what is an extrinsic semiconductor?
intrinsic semiconductor is an un-doped semiconductor, in which there is no impurities added where as extrinsic semiconductor is a doped semiconductor, which has impurities in it. Doping is a process, involving adding dopant atoms to the intrinsic semiconductor, there by gives different electrical characteristics
How does a Shockley diode work?
A Shockley diode uses a metal-semiconductor junction instead of a p-n semiconductor-semiconductor junction. This results in a device with a much lower forward bias voltage drop and much faster switching times.
What is mean't by Reverse voltage?
Reverse voltage is voltage is applied in reverse. Instead of the positive voltage going into the anode lead of a component, it goes into the cathode lead of the component.
What is a aerial bundle conductor?
In science and engineering, conductors are materials with low resistivity, this due to the presence of mobile charged particles within the material. In metallic conductors, such as copper or aluminum, the movable charged particles are present because atoms have loosely held valence electrons. See electrical conduction. All conductors contain electric charges which will move when an electric potential difference (measured in volts) is applied across separate points on the material. This flow of charge (measured in amperes) is what is meant by electric current. In most materials, the rate of current is proportional to the voltage (Ohm's law,) provided the temperature remains constant and the material remains in the same shape and state. The ratio between the voltage and the current is called the resistance(measured in ohms) of the object between the points where the voltage was applied. The resistance across a standard mass (and shape) of a material at a given temperature is called the resistivity of the material. The inverse of resistance and resistivity is conductance and conductivity. Most familiar conductors are metallic. Copper is the most common material for electrical wiring, and gold for high-quality surface-to-surface contacts. However, there are also many non-metallic conductors, including graphite, solutions of salts, and all plasmas. See electrical conduction for more information on the physical mechanism for charge flow in materials. Non-conducting materials lack mobile charges, and so resist the flow of electric current, generating heat. In fact, all materials offer some resistance and warm up when a current flows. Thus, proper design of an electrical conductor takes into account the temperature that the conductor needs to be able to endure without damage, as well as the quantity of electrical current. The motion of charges also creates an electromagnetic field around the conductor that exerts a mechanical radial squeezing force on the conductor. A conductor of a given material and volume (length x cross-sectional area) has no real limit to the current it can carry without being destroyed as long as the heat generated by the resistive loss is removed and the conductor can withstand the radial forces. This effect is especially critical in printed circuits, where conductors are relatively small and close together, and inside an enclosure: the heat produced, if not properly removed, can cause fusing (melting) of the tracks. Since all conductors have some resistance, and all insulators will carry some current, there is no theoretical dividing line between conductors and insulators. However, there is a large gap between the conductance of materials that will carry a useful current at working voltages and those that will carry a negligible current for the purpose in hand, so the categories of insulator and conductor do have practical utility. Thermal and electrical conductivity often go together (for instance, most metals are both electrical and thermal conductors). However, some materials are practical electrical conductors without being a good thermal conductor In science and engineering, conductors are materials with low resistivity, this due to the presence of mobile charged particles within the material. In metallic conductors, such as copper or aluminum, the movable charged particles are present because atoms have loosely held valence electrons. See electrical conduction. All conductors contain electric charges which will move when an electric potential difference (measured in volts) is applied across separate points on the material. This flow of charge (measured in amperes) is what is meant by electric current. In most materials, the rate of current is proportional to the voltage (Ohm's law,) provided the temperature remains constant and the material remains in the same shape and state. The ratio between the voltage and the current is called the resistance (measured in ohms) of the object between the points where the voltage was applied. The resistance across a standard mass (and shape) of a material at a given temperature is called the resistivity of the material. The inverse of resistance and resistivity is conductance and conductivity. Most familiar conductors are metallic. Copper is the most common material for electrical wiring, and gold for high-quality surface-to-surface contacts. However, there are also many non-metallic conductors, including graphite, solutions of salts, and all plasmas. See electrical conduction for more information on the physical mechanism for charge flow in materials. Non-conducting materials lack mobile charges, and so resist the flow of electric current, generating heat. In fact, all materials offer some resistance and warm up when a current flows. Thus, proper design of an electrical conductor takes into account the temperature that the conductor needs to be able to endure without damage, as well as the quantity of electrical current. The motion of charges also creates an electromagnetic field around the conductor that exerts a mechanical radial squeezing force on the conductor. A conductor of a given material and volume (length x cross-sectional area) has no real limit to the current it can carry without being destroyed as long as the heat generated by the resistive loss is removed and the conductor can withstand the radial forces. This effect is especially critical in printed circuits, where conductors are relatively small and close together, and inside an enclosure: the heat produced, if not properly removed, can cause fusing (melting) of the tracks. Since all conductors have some resistance, and all insulators will carry some current, there is no theoretical dividing line between conductors and insulators. However, there is a large gap between the conductance of materials that will carry a useful current at working voltages and those that will carry a negligible current for the purpose in hand, so the categories of insulator and conductor do have practical utility. Thermal and electrical conductivity often go together (for instance, most metals are both electrical and thermal conductors). However, some materials are practical electrical conductors without being a good thermal conductor
Why are AC and DC resistance different?
An AC current tends to flow towards the surface of a conductor due to a phenomenon called the 'skin effect', which acts to reduce the effective cross-sectional area of that conductor.Since resistance is directly-proportional to the cross-sectional area of a conductor, the conductor's resistance to an AC current is, therefore, higher than its resistance to a DC current (which distributes itself across the full cross-sectional area). We call this elevated value of resistance, AC resistance.The skin effect increases with frequency to such an extent that, at radio frequencies, there is little point in using solid conductors and tubes are used instead. At mains' frequencies (50/60 Hz), however, the skin effect is moderate and, so, the value of a conductor's AC resistance is only slightly elevated compared to its true resistance.It's important not to confuse the term 'AC resistance' with 'reactance', which is a function of a conductor's inductance and/or capacitance, and the frequency of the supply.
Why do you use semiconductor why not conductors and insulators by changing their properties?
We use semiconductors instead of conductors and insulators by changing their properties because the properties of a semiconductor lies between that of a good insulator ant that of a good conductor. Any of the materials obtained depends on the level of doping.
What is a metalloid called if it conducts electricity better than non-metals but not as well as metals?
Probably Water, it conducts but doesnt send the current around a single direction, instead scatters it out.
Why Zinc oxide is a semiconductor?
A substance is classified as a good/bad/semi conductor based upon the energy gap (band gap) in between the valence bands and conduction bands (which are nothing but the collection of molecular orbital energy levels). for ZnO the band gap is ~3.4eV (electron volts). this value is more than for a conductor (like most of the metals Cu, Zn, Ag, Au etc) and less than bad conductors (Wood, Paper etc). so ZnO is a semi conductor. these type of materials can be played with to behave as a good or bad conductor.
What is a schottky transister?
A very high speed bipolar junction transistor having a metal-semiconductor emitter base junction instead of a semiconductor-semiconductor emitter base junction.
Explain what happens when a long straight conductor is moved through a uniform magnetic field at a constant velocity Assuming that the conductor moves perpendicularly to the field?
Interesting question. Because Fleming's right hand rule tells us that a conductor carrying a current perpedicular to a magnetic field will move in a particular direction we know that movement, current and magnetic field are related. So if we take the current away and instead force the conductor to move as described then we would observe a current in the wire. However, you have not said that your conductor is connected in a circuit - in which case the charge carriers in the conductor will tend to one side like a bar magnet.AnswerThe original answer is incorrect. A voltage would be induced into the conductor. No current would flow unless the conductor forms a continuous circuit.
Can a resistance be used in the circuit instead of diode?
No. A resister is not a replacement component for a diode. A resister is passive and allows current to flow through in in both directions. A diode is a single semiconductor junction that only allow current to flow in one direction.
How does current electricity behave?
In a very predictable way. It follows Ohms law. Electrons do not flow instead they transfer their charge down a conductor to where they do work. Usually heating or lighting. They can excite a magnetic field and make a motor go. As a magnetic field is crossed by a conductor a current is generated.
Why do you use four probe instead of using two probe for determining the band gap of semiconductor?
becz if we use two probes instead of four probes,the current will not flow uniformly to the germanium chip,so there will be more chances of error in d experiment.
What is an intrinsic semiconductor and what is an extrinsic semiconductor?
intrinsic semiconductor is an un-doped semiconductor, in which there is no impurities added where as extrinsic semiconductor is a doped semiconductor, which has impurities in it. Doping is a process, involving adding dopant atoms to the intrinsic semiconductor, there by gives different electrical characteristics
Why mercury is used instead of bad conductor of heat?
Mercury is a poor conductor of heat.
How does a Shockley diode work?
A Shockley diode uses a metal-semiconductor junction instead of a p-n semiconductor-semiconductor junction. This results in a device with a much lower forward bias voltage drop and much faster switching times.
What is a Shockley diode?
An ordinary semiconductor diode uses a P-N junction, but when reverse biased it takes a period of time to remove the current carriers from that junction to create the depletion region that blocks reverse conduction. A Shockley diode instead uses a P semiconductor-metal junction, which removes the current carriers much faster from the semiconductor allowing the device to switch much faster. It also has a much lower forward bias voltage than an ordinary diode. In many ways it is similar to the previous point contact diodes (a piece of semiconductor like galena or germanium with a metal "cat's whisker" point contact) in operation, but is more reliable and easier to mass produce.
