Electrical Engineering XYZ MCQs
What is the charge of mobile charge carriers of holes:
- No charged
- Negatively charged
- Positively charged
- None of the above
Correct answer: 3. Positively charged
Explanation: In semiconductor physics, a hole is essentially an empty state in the valence band of a semiconductor material where an electron would normally be. When an electron leaves its position in the valence band (due to energy input, for instance), it leaves behind a positively charged hole.
So, mobile charge carriers of holes have a positive charge. This is because they effectively act like positive charges moving through the material, even though they’re technically the absence of an electron. This movement of holes contributes to the electrical conductivity of the semiconductor material.