Doping silicon with boron produces a -

Options

A. Insulator
B. metal
C. n-type semiconductor
D. p-type semiconductor

Answer

To solve the question "Doping silicon with boron produces a -", we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Nature of Silicon
Silicon is a tetravalent element, meaning it has four electrons in its outermost shell. This property allows silicon to form covalent bonds with four neighboring silicon atoms, creating a stable crystal lattice structure.

**Hint:** Remember that silicon is a semiconductor with four valence electrons.

### Step 2: Introduce Boron as a Dopant
When silicon is doped with boron, which is a trivalent element (having three valence electrons), it replaces some silicon atoms in the lattice. Since boron has only three electrons, it cannot form four bonds like silicon, leading to a deficiency of electrons.

**Hint:** Consider how the number of valence electrons affects bonding in the crystal lattice.

### Step 3: Identify the Resulting Electron Deficiency
The absence of an electron where boron is located creates an "electron hole." This hole can be thought of as a positive charge carrier since it represents a missing negative charge. The movement of these holes contributes to electrical conduction.

**Hint:** Think about what happens when there is a missing electron in the lattice structure.

### Step 4: Determine the Type of Semiconductor
The introduction of holes (electron deficiencies) means that the doped silicon will conduct electricity through the movement of these holes. This type of semiconductor, which is characterized by the presence of holes as charge carriers, is known as a p-type semiconductor.

**Hint:** Recall the terms "p-type" and "n-type" semiconductors and what they signify regarding charge carriers.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Thus, doping silicon with boron produces a **p-type semiconductor**. This is because the boron creates holes in the silicon lattice, which are responsible for electrical conduction.

**Final Answer:** Doping silicon with boron produces a **p-type semiconductor**.

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