What is a Semiconductor 4. What is an Insulator 5. Conductor vs Semiconductor vs Insulator in Tabular Form 6. A conductor or electrical conductor is an object in electrical engineering in which the flow of charge in one or more directions is allowed.
In other words, conductor materials can conduct an electrical current through themselves. The most common electrical conductors are metals and metallic objects. In these materials, electric currents are generated through the flow of negatively charged electrons, positively charged holes, and sometimes due to the presence of positive and negative ions.
More importantly, when an electrical current is passing through a conductor, it is not necessary for a charged particle to travel from a site where the current is produced to the site where the current consumption occurs. Here, the charged particles tend to nudge their neighbor a finite amount of energy, and this occurs as a chain reaction between the neighboring particles where particles at the end of the chain nudge the power into the consumer object.
Therefore, we can observe long-chain momentum transfer between mobile charge carriers. When considering the two important facts about resistance and conductance regarding a conductor, the resistance depends on the composition of the material and its dimensions, whereas the conductance depends on the resistance. The presence of electrons at the conduction band decides the conducting level of the material. Therefore, the conductivity level of semiconductors somewhere lies between conductors and insulators.
Thank you…. Your email address will not be published. Skip to content. Key Differences Between Conductor, Semiconductor and Insulator The factor that generates a key difference between conductor, semiconductor and insulator is that the energy gap between the conduction band and valence band does not exist as the two bands overlap in case of the conductor.
On the contrary, the energy gap between valence and conduction band is small in case of semiconductors. While large energy difference exists between the two bands in case of insulators. As conductors allow a large flow of electric current thus exhibits low resistivity as compared to semiconductor whose resistivity is moderate. On the other side, insulator possesses the highest resistivity among all. Conductors are highly conductive in nature while semiconductors possess moderate conductivity. As against, the conductivity of insulators is almost negligible.
Conductors are the materials that exhibit a positive temperature coefficient of resistance , as resistance increases with the increase in temperature. While semiconductors and insulators possess negative temperature coefficient of resistance as their resistivity decreases with the increase in temperature. Takes place easily. Does not take place. Very Slow. Behaviour at Absolute 0K temperature. Behaves like super conductor. Behaves like an Insulator. Bonding Types.
Ionic bond. Ionic Bond and Covalent Bond. Covalent Bond. Conductors are material which conduct electricity. In conductors, the ionic bond is formed between the atoms.
This ionic bond causes an easy flow of charge carriers under the influence of any thermal agitation. Hence they are a good conductor of electricity. The overlapping of the valence band and conduction band allows the easy flow of electrons through them. There is no Fermi level between the valence band and the conduction band.
When the small voltage is applied, the conductor will result in a large amount of current. The current flows because of the electrons. The movement of electrons in the metal is called as electric current. Conductors are having a positive temperature coefficient of resistance. Hence as the temperature increases resistivity increases which in turn decreases the conductivity. Insulators are the material which do not allow any flow of electric current through them.
The valence band and conduction band are separated by the energy band gap of 6eV. Thus electrons do not move from valence band to conduction band under the influence of any thermal agitation. The bond between the atoms is the covalent bond and ionic bond. The electron holds the atom very tightly and does not permit electron flow. Therefore, the insulators have negative temperature co-efficient of resistance.
Due to high electrical resistance, the insulators are used for protection against electric shocks. The semiconductors are the materials having conductivity in-between conductors and insulators. In a semiconductor, the forbidden energy gap between valance and conduction bands is very small about 1 eV as compared to insulators.
Therefore, a smaller electric field smaller than insulators but greater than conductors is required to push the free electrons from valance band to the conduction band. At low temperature, the valance band of semiconductor is completely full and the conduction band is completely empty. Thus, a semiconductor behaves as an insulator at low temperature. However, at room temperature, some electrons can cross the forbidden energy gap, imparting a little conductivity to the semiconductor.
0コメント