Given below are two statements:
Statement I: In an intrinsic semiconductor, a free electron and a hole are produced together when a covalent bond breaks.
Statement II: Under an applied electric field, the holes in an intrinsic semiconductor move towards the positive potential.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
Statement I In an intrinsic semiconductor, a free electron and a hole are produced together when a covalent bond breaks. — True. Thermal energy frees an electron from a bond. The vacancy it leaves behind, with an effective charge \(+q\), is the hole.
Statement II Under an applied electric field, the holes in an intrinsic semiconductor move towards the positive potential. — False. A hole acts like a positive charge, so the field moves it towards the negative potential. The free electrons move the other way.
NCERT (2026-27):
Intrinsic Semiconductor – “The neighbourhood, from which the free electron (with charge –q) has come out leaves a vacancy with an effective charge (+q). This vacancy with the effective positive electronic charge is called a hole.”
Intrinsic Semiconductor – “… Under the action of an electric field, these holes move towards negative potential giving the hole current, Ih. …”