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Which dopants create n-type silicon?
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semiconductor device
Typical range of conductivities for insulators, semiconductors, and conductors.
To create n-type silicon, elements with five valence electrons are used as dopants. These atoms, such as phosphorus and arsenic, are introduced into the silicon crystal lattice to act as donor atoms.1
Because these dopants have one more electron available for bonding than the silicon atoms they replace, the extra electron is left free to move through the material. This abundance of free, negatively charged electrons is what classifies the material as an n-type semiconductor.12