SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS

Very Short Question Answers

Q1. What is an n-type semiconductor? What are the majority and minority charge carriers in it?

Ans.

n-type semiconductor: Germanium or silicon doped with pentavalent impurity like arsenic is called n- type semiconductor.Majority charge carriers: electrons

                          Minority charge carriers: holes.


Q2. What are intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors?

Ans.

Intrinsic semiconductor: Pure semiconductor like silicon is called intrinsic semiconductor.

Extrinsic semiconductor: A semiconductor doped with trivalent or pentavalent impurity is called extrinsic semiconductor.


Q3. What is a p-type semiconductor? What are the majority and minority charge carries in it?

Ans.

p-type semiconductor: Germanium or silicon doped with trivalent impurity like indium is called p-type semiconductor.Majority charge carriers: holes

      Minority charge carriers: electrons.


Q4. What is p-n unction diode? Define depletion layer?

Ans.

 p-n junction diode: An arrangement consisting of p-type semiconductor brought in close contact with n-type semiconductor is called p-n junction diode

Depletion layer: The region near the p-n junction which is free from mobile charge carriers is called depletion layer.


Q5. How is a battery connected to a junction diode in i) forward bias and ii) reverse bias?

Ans.

 Forward bias: In forward bias, the p-side of diode is connected to positive terminal of battery and n-side connected to negative terminal of battery.

Reverse bias: In reverse bias, the p-side of diode is connected to negative terminal of battery and n –side connected to positive terminal of battery.


Q6. What is the maximum percentage of rectification in half wave and full wave rectifiers?

Ans.

Maximum percentage of rectification in half wave rectifier is 40.6 %. Maximum percentage of rectification in full wave rectifier is 81.2%.


Q7. What is Zener voltage and how will a Zener diode be connected in circuits generally?

Ans.

 Zener voltage: The reverse bias voltage of Zener diode, at which current increase suddenly is called Zener voltage. Zener diode is connected in reverse bias.


Q8. Write Expressions for the efficiency of a full wave rectifier and a half wave rectifier?

Ans.

      Efficiency of full wave rectifier  $\eta =\frac{0.812\times \, R_{L}}{r
_{f}+R_{L}}$

Efficiency of half wave rectifier   $\eta =\frac{0.406\times \, R_{L}}{r
_{f}+R_{L}}$


Q9. What happens to the width of the depletion layer in a p-n junction diode? When it is i) forward biased and ii)reverse biased?

Ans.

In forward bias the width of depletion layer of a diode decreases.

In reverse bias, the width of depletion layer of a diode increases


Q10. Draw the circuit symbols for p-n-p and n-p-n transistors?

Ans.


Q11. Define amplifier and amplification factor

Ans.

Amplifier: The process of raising the strength of a signal is called amplification.

The device used to do amplification is called amplifier.

Amplification factor(A): The ratio of output voltage to input voltage is called amplification factor $ A=\frac{V_{\circ}}{V_{i}} $


Q12. In which bias can a Zener diode be used as voltage regulator?

Ans.

Reverse bias.


Q13. Which gates are called universal gates?

Ans.

NAND and NOR gates.


Q14. Write the truth table of NAND gate. How does it differ from AND gate?

Ans.

NAND gate truth table 

$A$ $B$ $Y= \overline{A.B}$
$0$ $0$ $1$
$0$ $1$ $1$
$1$ $0$ $1$
$1$ $1$ $0$

The output of NAND gate is an inversion of AND gate.