Physics · Semiconductors, semiconductor diode: I-V characteristics in forward and reverse bias, diode as a rectifier
A pure semiconductor at absolute zero has
A pure semiconductor at absolute zero has
- A. Absence of electrons in the conduction band.
- B. All the electrons occupying the valence band.
- C. Large \( E_{g} \) value.
- D. All of the above.
Step-by-step solution
At absolute zero, thermal energy is zero, so no electrons are excited to the conduction band; all electrons remain in the valence band. The band gap Eg is a material constant and not necessarily large (e.g., Ge has Eg=0.67 eV). Hence, statements A and B are both true, but C is not universally correct. Among the options, A directly describes the conduction band emptiness, while B is also true but A is a direct consequence of zero thermal excitation.