The element that can be used as an acceptor impurity to doped silicon is

Options

A. Antimony
B. Arsenic
C. Boron
D. Phosphorous

Answer

To determine the element that can be used as an acceptor impurity to dope silicon, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Doping Process
Silicon (Si) is a semiconductor that has four valence electrons, allowing it to form four covalent bonds with neighboring silicon atoms. Doping silicon involves introducing impurities to modify its electrical properties.

**Hint:** Doping can create either n-type or p-type semiconductors depending on the type of impurity used.

### Step 2: Identify Acceptor and Donor Impurities
- **Acceptor impurities** are elements that have fewer valence electrons than silicon (i.e., trivalent elements). When these elements are added to silicon, they create "holes" in the crystal lattice, which can accept electrons.
- **Donor impurities** have more valence electrons than silicon (i.e., pentavalent elements). They provide extra electrons to the silicon lattice.

**Hint:** Remember that trivalent elements can accept electrons, while pentavalent elements can donate electrons.

### Step 3: Analyze the Given Options
The options provided are:
1. Antimony (Sb) - Pentavalent
2. Arsenic (As) - Pentavalent
3. Boron (B) - Trivalent
4. Phosphorus (P) - Pentavalent

**Hint:** Focus on the valency of each element to determine whether it can act as an acceptor or donor.

### Step 4: Determine Which Element is Trivalent
From the options:
- Antimony, Arsenic, and Phosphorus are all pentavalent (5 valence electrons).
- Boron is trivalent (3 valence electrons).

Since we need a trivalent element to act as an acceptor impurity, Boron is the only suitable choice.

**Hint:** Look for elements in Group 13 of the periodic table, as they typically have three valence electrons.

### Step 5: Conclusion
The element that can be used as an acceptor impurity to dope silicon is **Boron (B)**.

**Final Answer:** Boron