Question 18

Non-stoichiometric cuprous oxide, Cu2O can be prepared in laboratory. In this oxide, copper to oxygen ratio is slightly less than 2:1. Can you account for the fact that this substance is a p-type semiconductor?

Answer

From the given data it is clear that the ratio of copper to oxygen is less than 2:1. Therefore, cuprous oxide is non stoichiometric crystal. This means that some Cu+ ions have been replaced by Cu2+ ions and to maintain electrical neutrality, every 2 Cu+ ions will be replaced by one Cu2+ ions, making a hole. Since the conduction will be due to the presence of these positive holes, the given substance is a p-type semi- conductor.

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