Doping (semiconductor)

In <a href="/facts/Semiconductor/zFf3mGTE">semiconductor</a> production, doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an <a href="/facts/Intrinsic_semiconductor/IcmdPfQJ">intrinsic (undoped) semiconductor</a> for the purpose of modulating its electrical, optical and structural properties. The doped material is referred to as an <a href="/facts/Extrinsic_semiconductor/d9GPL5tV">extrinsic semiconductor</a>.
Small numbers of dopant <a href="/facts/Atom/69syB8dH">atoms</a> can change the ability of a semiconductor to conduct electricity. When on the order of one dopant atom is added per 100 million intrinsic atoms, the doping is said to be low or light. When many more dopant atoms are added, on the order of one per ten thousand atoms, the doping is referred to as high or heavy. This is often shown as n+ for <a href="/facts/N-type_semiconductor/d9GPL5tV">n-type</a> doping or p+ for <a href="/facts/P-type_semiconductor/d9GPL5tV">p-type</a> doping. (See the article on <a href="/facts/Semiconductors/zFf3mGTE">semiconductors</a> for a more detailed description of the doping mechanism.) A semiconductor doped to such high levels that it acts more like a <a href="/facts/Conductor_(material)/BSuyupLP">conductor</a> than a semiconductor is referred to as a <a href="/facts/Degenerate_semiconductor/pyt4mV4Y">degenerate semiconductor</a>. A semiconductor can be considered <a href="/facts/I-type_semiconductor/IcmdPfQJ">i-type semiconductor</a> if it has been doped in equal quantities of p and n.
In the context of <a href="/facts/Phosphor/vTLjrGDE">phosphors</a> and <a href="/facts/Scintillator/vhxA1Ufo">scintillators</a>, doping is better known as <a href="/facts/Activator_(phosphor)/g1DA9jmb">activation</a>; this is not to be confused with <a href="/facts/Dopant_activation/NF6696LV">dopant activation</a> in semiconductors. Doping is also used to control the color in some pigments.

Doping (semiconductor) open-in-new

Doping (semiconductor)