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Where does the labelling of extrinsic semiconductors as “n” and “p” come from?

Where did the concept of energy come from?Where does the reverse current come from in a organic semiconducting diode?Where do Newton's laws come from?Where do Maxwell's equations come from?semiconductors extrinsic and intrinsic carriers concentrations equationsWhere does the lowered effective mass of electrons come from?Where does the factor of half come from, boltzmann distribution for bandgap energyMass-Action LawWhere does the proportionality symbol originate from?Where did the concept of field come from?

1

$begingroup$

The naming of doped semiconductors as "n-type" (for donor-doped) and "p-type" (for acceptor-doped) is ubiquitous. But I am having a hard time digging up where this naming tradition comes from and how it has come to be so widely accepted. From my perspective, there is nothing intuitive about this choice of notation. Henceforth the question:

Where does the tradition of labelling donor-doped extrinsic semiconductors as "n" and acceptor-doped as "p" come from?

semiconductor-physics history

share|cite|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Simple - n for negative, p for positive
  $endgroup$
  – Nilay Ghosh
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

$begingroup$

The naming of doped semiconductors as "n-type" (for donor-doped) and "p-type" (for acceptor-doped) is ubiquitous. But I am having a hard time digging up where this naming tradition comes from and how it has come to be so widely accepted. From my perspective, there is nothing intuitive about this choice of notation. Henceforth the question:

Where does the tradition of labelling donor-doped extrinsic semiconductors as "n" and acceptor-doped as "p" come from?

semiconductor-physics history

share|cite|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Simple - n for negative, p for positive
  $endgroup$
  – Nilay Ghosh
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

The naming of doped semiconductors as "n-type" (for donor-doped) and "p-type" (for acceptor-doped) is ubiquitous. But I am having a hard time digging up where this naming tradition comes from and how it has come to be so widely accepted. From my perspective, there is nothing intuitive about this choice of notation. Henceforth the question:

Where does the tradition of labelling donor-doped extrinsic semiconductors as "n" and acceptor-doped as "p" come from?

semiconductor-physics history

share|cite|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

$endgroup$

share|cite|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|cite|improve this question

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

New contributor

Ignat Insarov is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

Ignat InsarovIgnat Insarov

1092

2 Answers
2

active

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votes

5

$begingroup$

For semiconductors, n-type mainly refers to Negative electrons which are the major charge carriers, whereas p-type refers to Positive, indicating holes which are the majority charge carriers (in this case), and can be thought of as positive.

In short, it tells us about the majority charge carriers in a particular type of semiconductor.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

2

$begingroup$

I want to supplement Eagle's answer.
Long before people deliberately doped semiconductors, physicists were studying samples of crystalline germanium.
While playing with these crystals, some seem to act as if they had a few n or negative carriers in them, and others seemed to have p or positive carriers in them.
At first it was not understood why they behaved this way, and the the naming convention long predates their use in electronics.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  So I should understand those germanium crystals were rather impure?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Actually, can you refer me to the records of those early experiments?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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5

$begingroup$

For semiconductors, n-type mainly refers to Negative electrons which are the major charge carriers, whereas p-type refers to Positive, indicating holes which are the majority charge carriers (in this case), and can be thought of as positive.

In short, it tells us about the majority charge carriers in a particular type of semiconductor.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

5

$begingroup$

For semiconductors, n-type mainly refers to Negative electrons which are the major charge carriers, whereas p-type refers to Positive, indicating holes which are the majority charge carriers (in this case), and can be thought of as positive.

In short, it tells us about the majority charge carriers in a particular type of semiconductor.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

For semiconductors, n-type mainly refers to Negative electrons which are the major charge carriers, whereas p-type refers to Positive, indicating holes which are the majority charge carriers (in this case), and can be thought of as positive.

In short, it tells us about the majority charge carriers in a particular type of semiconductor.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

$endgroup$

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

answered 8 hours ago

EagleEagle

3811217

2

$begingroup$

I want to supplement Eagle's answer.
Long before people deliberately doped semiconductors, physicists were studying samples of crystalline germanium.
While playing with these crystals, some seem to act as if they had a few n or negative carriers in them, and others seemed to have p or positive carriers in them.
At first it was not understood why they behaved this way, and the the naming convention long predates their use in electronics.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  So I should understand those germanium crystals were rather impure?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Actually, can you refer me to the records of those early experiments?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

$begingroup$

I want to supplement Eagle's answer.
Long before people deliberately doped semiconductors, physicists were studying samples of crystalline germanium.
While playing with these crystals, some seem to act as if they had a few n or negative carriers in them, and others seemed to have p or positive carriers in them.
At first it was not understood why they behaved this way, and the the naming convention long predates their use in electronics.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  So I should understand those germanium crystals were rather impure?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Actually, can you refer me to the records of those early experiments?
  $endgroup$
  – Ignat Insarov
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I want to supplement Eagle's answer.
Long before people deliberately doped semiconductors, physicists were studying samples of crystalline germanium.
While playing with these crystals, some seem to act as if they had a few n or negative carriers in them, and others seemed to have p or positive carriers in them.
At first it was not understood why they behaved this way, and the the naming convention long predates their use in electronics.

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

$endgroup$

share|cite|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318

answered 7 hours ago

Paul YoungPaul Young

1,486318