Which type of semiconductor would be produced by doping with elements that create extra positive charge carriers?

Doping a semiconductor involves introducing impurities into the material to modify its electrical properties. When a semiconductor is doped with elements that create extra positive charge carriers, it results in a P-type semiconductor.

In a P-type semiconductor, the dopants are typically from group III of the periodic table, such as boron or aluminum. These elements have one fewer valence electron compared to silicon (which has four valence electrons). As a result, when these elements are incorporated into the silicon crystal lattice, they create "holes." A hole is a vacancy where an electron could have been, and it behaves like a positive charge carrier because electrons can jump into these holes, allowing for the flow of current.

This process enhances the conductivity of the semiconductor because the positive holes can move through the lattice, effectively conducting electricity. Therefore, the presence of these additional positive charge carriers directly leads to the classification as a P-type semiconductor.

In contrast, an N-type semiconductor would result from doping with elements that have more valence electrons than silicon, such as phosphorus, which introduces free electrons as negative charge carriers. Conductors, on the other hand, already have a high density of charge carriers and do not require doping in the same manner as semiconductors. Dielect