What is the effect of increasing temperature on a semiconductor’s conductivity?

Increasing temperature in a semiconductor leads to a rise in its conductivity. This phenomenon occurs because, as temperature increases, more charge carriers—specifically electrons and holes—become available in the material.

At higher temperatures, thermal energy stimulates more electrons to move from the valence band to the conduction band, thus increasing the number of free charge carriers that can participate in electrical conduction. This means that the semiconductor becomes more conductive as the energy from the heat excites more electrons, allowing them to contribute to the flow of current.

The behavior of semiconductors in response to temperature is quite different from that of metals, where increased temperature typically causes decreased conductivity due to increased lattice vibrations that hinder electron flow. In contrast, semiconductors are designed to exploit the properties of their charge carriers, which are directly enhanced by thermal effects. Hence, as the temperature rises, the conductivity of the semiconductor goes up significantly.