P-type semiconductor

A semiconductor doped with acceptor impurities so that mobile holes outnumber conduction electrons. Its electrical behavior depends on the host material, dopant, and temperature.

Acceptor: An impurity atom that accepts an electron from a semiconductor’s valence band, leaving a mobile hole. Acceptor dopants supply the holes that make this semiconductor p-type.
Semiconductor: A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled by temperature, light, or impurities. P-type behavior is one way a semiconductor’s conductivity is controlled.
P–n junction: A boundary between p-type and n-type semiconductor regions that creates a depletion region and rectifying electrical behavior. A p-type region forms one side of this fundamental device junction.
N-type semiconductor: A semiconductor doped so that electrons outnumber holes as mobile charge carriers. It has the opposite majority-carrier polarity from p-type material.
Hole (semiconductor): A mobile vacancy in a semiconductor’s valence band that behaves as a positive charge carrier. These vacancies are the majority mobile carriers in p-type material.
Valence band: The range of allowed electron energies that is occupied by bonding electrons in a semiconductor at low temperature. Acceptors draw electrons from this band, leaving holes behind.
Bipolar junction transistor: A transistor with two p–n junctions in which both electrons and holes participate in conduction. Its p-type regions inject or collect holes depending on transistor structure.
Donor (semiconductor): An impurity atom that supplies an electron to a semiconductor’s conduction band. Donor impurities create the electron-rich doping opposed to acceptor doping.
Doping (semiconductor): The intentional addition of impurities to a semiconductor to control its electrical properties. P-type material is produced by adding acceptor dopants.
Conduction band: The range of electron energies above a semiconductor’s band gap where electrons can move and conduct current. P-type material still contains minority electrons in this band.

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