p-type Semiconductor

A p-type semiconductor is an intrinsic semiconductor doped with boron (B) or indium (In). Silicon of Group IV has four valence electrons and boron of Group III has three valence electrons. If a small amount of boron is doped to a single crystal of silicon, valence electrons will be insufficient at one position to bond silicon and boron, resulting in holes* that lack electrons. When a voltage is applied in this state, the neighboring electrons move to the hole, so that the place where an electron is present becomes a new hole, and the holes appear to move to the "–" electrode in sequence.