What is Fermi level?

The energy at which the probability of an electron occupying a state is exactly one half. It lies closer to the conduction band in n-type material and closer to the valence band in p-type.

Energy band diagram of an n-type semiconductor Conduction band Ec EF (Fermi level) Ei (intrinsic Fermi level) Donors move EF toward Ec Ev Valence band Eg

Field: Semiconductor physics

Fermi level in the explanations

Questions that mention Fermi level (9)

  1. Where is the Fermi level located in an n-type semiconductor?
  2. What does the Fermi level mean?
  3. What is a semiconductor called whose impurity concentration is so high that the Fermi level lies inside the conduction or valence band?
  4. Why is the intrinsic Fermi level of silicon slightly offset from the exact center of the band gap?
  5. What is the energy difference between the vacuum level and the bottom of the conduction band of a semiconductor called?
  6. Which is the correct definition of the work function of a material?
  7. In a semiconductor driven out of thermal equilibrium by illumination or current injection, what are the levels introduced to describe the electron and hole densities separately?
  8. How does the absolute value of a MOSFET's threshold voltage generally change as temperature rises?
  9. In regions where the impurity concentration far exceeds the intrinsic carrier density, the diffusion coefficient of arsenic and others varies with concentration. Which statement about this is correct?

Related terms

Degenerate semiconductor Work function Threshold voltage Donor Built-in potential Flat-band voltage Band gap Electron affinity Mobility Intrinsic carrier density

Back to the glossary