Free charge carriers

The fact of a transfer of an electron from an absorbed particle to adsorbent [25] is widely considered as a criterion to differentiate between various forms of adsorption. Yet, as it has been already mentioned in previous section, there is a neutral form of chemisorption, i.e. weak binding formed without changing the surface charge state which only affects the dipole component of the work function. On the other hand, in several cases the physical adsorption can result in electron transitions in solids. Indeed, apart from formation of a double layer, changing the work function of adsorbent [26] the formation of surface dipoles accompanying physical adsorption can bring free charge carriers to substan-... 

The availability of the surface charge results in redistribution of free charge carriers in semiconductor which leads to formation of a compensating space charge and electric field E related to the value of the volume charge through the Poisson equation ... 

To determine correlation between (t) and nd, therefore, to find out the type of dependence f let us consider the occupation kinetics for ASS levels by free charge carriers. The capturing of charge carriers occurring during transition of adsorption particles into the charged form will be considered, as usual, in adiabatic approximation, i.e. assuming that at any moment of time there is a quasi-equilibrium and the system of crystallites is characterized by immediate equilibrium values and L inside the conduction (valence) band. 

One can readily conclude from expression (1.119) - (1.126) that conditions in gaseous phase affect the values of equilibrium concentrations of all point defects and, therefore, the concentration of free charge carriers. 

Free available chlorine (FAC), 13 98 Freeboard area, 7 203-204 Free charge carriers, 23 35 Free-cutting brass, 7 697, 748 mechanical properties, 7 678t... 

Figure 4.22 Schematic diagram of a field effect transistor. The silicon-silicon dioxide system exhibits good semiconductor characteristics for use in FETs. The free charge carrier concentration, and hence the conductivity, of silicon can be increased by doping with impurities such as boron. This results in p-type silicon, the p describing the presence of excess positive mobile charges present. Silicon can also be doped with other impurities to form n-type silicon with an excess of negative mobile charges.

An electric field in the semiconductor may also produce passivation, as depicted in Fig. 6.1c. In semiconductors the concentration of free charge carriers is smaller by orders of magnitude than in metals. This permits the existence of extended space charges. The concept of pore formation due to an SCR as a passivating layer is supported by the fact that n-type, as well as p-type, silicon electrodes are under depletion in the pore formation regime [Ro3]. In addition a correlation between SCR width and pore density in the macroporous and the mesoporous regime is observed, as shown in Fig. 6.10 [Thl, Th2, Zh3, Le8]. 

The application of an electric field E to a conducting material results in an average velocity v of free charge carriers parallel to the field superimposed on their random thermal motion. The motion of charge carriers is retarded by scattering events, for example with acoustic phonons or ionized impurities. From the mean time t between such events, the effective mass m of the relevant charge carrier and the elementary charge e, the velocity v can be calculated ... 

Measurements of mobility in PS suffer from the fact that the number of free charge carriers is usually small and very sensitive to illumination, temperature and PS surface condition. Hall measurements of meso PS formed on a highly doped substrate (1018 cm3, bulk electron mobility 310 cm2 V-1 s-1) indicated an electron mobility of 30 cm2 V 1 s 1 and a free electron density of about 1013 cm-3 [Si2]. Values reported for effective mobility of electron and hole space charges in micro PS are about five orders of magnitude smaller (10-3 to 10 4 cm2 V 1 s ) [PelO]. The latter values are much smaller than expected from theoretical investigations of square silicon nanowires [Sa9]. For in-depth information about carrier mobility in PS see [Si6]. 

Hence, there must exist a certain parallelism between the changes in the electrical conductivity and in the catalytic activity. The physical origin of this parallelism is clear the electrical conductivity is determined by the concentration of free charge carriers in the semiconductor on the other hand, these take part in the reaction (as its components) and thus determine its rate. 

Some polymeric materials become conductive when illuminated with light. For instance, poly(A -vinylcarbazole) is an insulator in the dark, but when exposed to UV radiation it becomes conductive. Addition of electron acceptors and sensitizing dyes allows the photoconductive response to be extended into the visible and near-IR (NIR) regions. In general, such photoconductivity is dependent on the material s ability to create free-charge carriers, electron holes, through absorption of light, and to move these carriers when a current is applied. 

Electrical conductivity is due to the motion of free charge carriers in the solid. These may be either electrons (in the empty conduction band) or holes (vacancies) in the normally full valence band. In a p type semiconductor, conductivity is mainly via holes, whereas in an n type semiconductor it involves electrons. Mobile electrons are the result of either intrinsic non-stoichiometry or the presence of a dopant in the structure. To promote electrons across the band gap into the conduction band, an energy greater than that of the band gap is needed. Where the band gap is small, thermal excitation is sufficient to achieve this. In the case of most iron oxides with semiconductor properties, electron excitation is achieved by irradiation with visible light of the appropriate wavelength (photoconductivity). 

In traditional semiconductors such as silicon, germanium, or Ga2As3 the conductivity is between, say, 10 to 10 cm In an undoped solid, the concentration of free charge carriers is determined by n = where Aeff is... 

The basic assumption In conductance measurements Is the Independence of the sample resistance on electric field strength. However a deviation from the linear relation between current density and field strength will be observed If any field effect on the mobility and/or the number of free charge-carriers Is present. 

At high field strengths a conductance Increase Is observed both In solution of strong and weak electrolytes. The phenomena were discovered by M. Wien (6- ) and are known as the first and the second Wien effect, respectively. The first Wien effect Is completely explained as an Increase In Ionic mobility which Is a consequency of the Inability of the fast moving Ions to build up an Ionic atmosphere (8). This mobility Increase may also be observed In solution of weak electrolytes but since the second Wien effect Is a much more pronounced effect we must Invoke another explanation, l.e. an Increase In free charge-carriers. The second Wien effect Is therefore a shift in Ionic equilibrium towards free ions upon the application of an electric field and is therefore also known as the Field Dissociation Effect (FDE). Only the smallness of the field dissociation effect safeguards the use of conductance techniques for the study of Ionization equilibria. 

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