pn-junctions volume III

Thread Starter

elimenohpee

Joined Oct 26, 2008
47
I was just reading through the semiconductor tutorials and noticed in the pn-junction page, all the pictures are arranged as np-junctions instead of pn-junctions. Was there a reason for that? I could see how that might confuse someone learning it for the first time. I was just curious that's all.
 

Nanophotonics

Joined Apr 2, 2009
383
It doesn't matter. It's common to say pn-junction, but whether the pictures show np or pn arrangement, it doesn't matter. It is the flow of electrons and holes between the n-type and p-type materials that matters.

However, in transistors, for example BJT, you have npn and pnp transistors. Here it is useful to know the arrangement of the different materials, since you now have 3 pieces of semiconductors.
 
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