Semiconductor Basics: Drift & Diffusion Current

  • Thread starter Thread starter timkuc
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Semiconductor
AI Thread Summary
In semiconductor diodes, both drift and diffusion currents play crucial roles in charge transport. Under no bias conditions, diffusion occurs due to charge transfer, creating a depletion region that generates an electric field, leading to drift current from minority carriers. When a forward bias is applied, the battery creates an electric field, which primarily drives drift current; however, diffusion can still occur due to the concentration gradient of carriers. Some participants suggest that drift current is influenced by temperature, which affects carrier mobility and concentration. Understanding the interplay between drift and diffusion currents is essential for grasping semiconductor behavior under various bias conditions.
timkuc
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
My question is about drift and diffusion current.In a semiconductor diode no "bias" condition diffusion is present and due to transfer of charges due to diffusion depletion region created and then this region has ions which produce electric field which results in drift current due to force the minority charges from both the sides.So the diffusion current and after that drift current comes into picture .In forward bias there will be potential difference across the diode so there must be electric field in the diode.So in forward bias current should be due to the battery voltage .What I don't understand is ,is there any phenomenon of diffusion after applying the battery (because battery produces electric field in material,that means only drift current should be there as the drift current definition says "Drift current is the movement of electrons in electric field) ? Some says that drift current only depends on temperature (Why ?). I think don't getting the drift current what it really is . I am in really in trouble.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
108 viewers and no reply :(
 

Thread 'Underwater piezoelectric sensor array receive sensitivity'

Hi all I have some confusion about piezoelectrical sensors combination. If i have three acoustic piezoelectrical sensors (with same receive sensitivity in dB ref V/1uPa) placed at specific distance, these sensors receive acoustic signal from a sound source placed at far field distance (Plane Wave) and from broadside. I receive output of these sensors through individual preamplifiers, add them through hardware like summer circuit adder or in software after digitization and in this way got an...
View full post »

Thread 'Following up on the recent thread about Earth Resistance measurements'

I have recently moved into a new (rather ancient) house and had a few trips of my Residual Current breaker. I dug out my old Socket tester which tell me the three pins are correct. But then the Red warning light tells me my socket(s) fail the loop test. I never had this before but my last house had an overhead supply with no Earth from the company. The tester said "get this checked" and the man said the (high but not ridiculous) earth resistance was acceptable. I stuck a new copper earth...
View full post »

Thread 'Question about bonding ground and neutral'

I am not an electrical engineering student, but a lowly apprentice electrician. I learn both on the job and also take classes for my apprenticeship. I recently wired my first transformer and I understand that the neutral and ground are bonded together in the transformer or in the service. What I don't understand is, if the neutral is a current carrying conductor, which is then bonded to the ground conductor, why does current only flow back to its source and not on the ground path...
View full post »

Similar threads

Diffusion current and carrier concentration equilibrium (unbiased)
Replies
1
Views
1K
Drift vs Diffusion current
Replies
7
Views
3K
Depletion zone and current in forward-biased PN junction
Replies
3
Views
2K
Why does a transistor in saturation act like a short circuit?
Replies
5
Views
4K
Diffusion current in a circuit containing semiconductor but no electric source
Replies
2
Views
2K
Why is the Drift Current of a PN Junction Independent of Bias?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Conceptual short circuit diode / zero-bias base collector junction BJT question
Replies
2
Views
4K
Fundamentals of the PN Junction
Replies
12
Views
2K
Batteries: Is the current a diffusion current?
Replies
5
Views
2K
Some fundamental questions about pn junctions
Replies
10
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top