Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A resistor is cut from n-type silicon in which . The holes can be left out. The bar is cm long and has a cross-section of . A battery of V is joined across its ends. Take and . The drift speed of a carrier is , where is the electric field in the bar. Find the electric field in the bar, the drift speed of the electrons, the resistance of the bar and the current. Check your current by finding how many electrons cross a section of the bar each second. Silicon doped like this is common in integrated circuits, where a bar acts as a resistor.
A donor gives one electron, so . An acceptor gives one hole, so . The law of mass action is , with for silicon at 300 K. Conductivity is , with .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. m, , V.
Step 1. The field. .
Step 2. The drift speed. .
Step 3. The resistance. The conductivity is . So and .
Step 4. The current. mA.
Answer: V/m, m/s, and mA.
Check. mA. About electrons cross a section each second. The two methods agree.
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