Which charge carriers are the majority carriers on each side of a p-n junction?

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In a p-n junction, the majority charge carriers are determined by the type of impurity doping present on each side of the junction:

  • p-side: Holes are the majority carriers, as this side is doped with acceptor impurities.12
  • n-side: Electrons are the majority carriers, as this side is doped with donor impurities.12

Conversely, the less abundant carriers on each side—electrons on the p-side and holes on the n-side—are referred to as minority carriers.13