What type of semiconductor is formed when silicon is doped with phosphorus?

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Q: What type of semiconductor is formed when silicon is doped with phosphorus?

Solution: Doping silicon with phosphorus creates an n-type semiconductor due to the extra electrons contributed by phosphorus.

Steps: 6

Step 1: Understand what doping means. Doping is the process of adding impurities to a semiconductor to change its electrical properties.
Step 2: Know what silicon is. Silicon is a common semiconductor material used in electronics.
Step 3: Learn about phosphorus. Phosphorus is a type of element that has five electrons in its outer shell.
Step 4: Recognize that silicon has four electrons in its outer shell. When silicon is doped with phosphorus, the phosphorus atom will bond with silicon but will have one extra electron.
Step 5: Identify the extra electron. This extra electron from phosphorus is free to move around, which increases the electrical conductivity of the silicon.
Step 6: Conclude that this type of semiconductor is called n-type. The 'n' stands for negative, referring to the extra negative charge carriers (electrons) provided by the phosphorus.