A hot point probe is a method of quickly determining whether a

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping level ...

sample is n-type or p-type. The sample is probed using a

voltmeter A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electric potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. It is connected in parallel. It usually has a high resistance so that it takes negligible current from the circuit. A ...

ammeter An ammeter (abbreviation of ''ampere meter'') is an measuring instrument, instrument used to measure the electric current, current in a Electrical circuit, circuit. Electric currents are measured in amperes (A), hence the name. For direct measure ...

and a heat source, such as a

soldering iron A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering. It supplies heat to melt solder so that it can flow into the joint between two workpieces. A soldering iron is composed of a heated metal tip (the ''bit'') and an insulated handle. Heating is o ...

, is placed on one of the leads. The heat will cause charge carriers (

electrons The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary charge, elementary electric charge. It is a fundamental particle that comprises the ordinary matter that makes up the universe, along with up qua ...

in n-type,

hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid Body (physics), body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in m ...

s in p-type) to move away from the lead. The heat from the probe creates an increased number of carriers, which then diffuse away from the contact point. This causes a

current Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (hydr ...

voltage Voltage, also known as (electrical) potential difference, electric pressure, or electric tension, is the difference in electric potential between two points. In a Electrostatics, static electric field, it corresponds to the Work (electrical), ...

difference. For example, if the heat source is placed on the positive lead of a

attached to an

n-type semiconductor N-type, N type or Type N may refer to: * N-type semiconductor is a key material in the manufacture of transistors and integrated circuits * An N-type connector is a threaded RF connector used to join coaxial cables * The MG N-type Magnette was p ...

, a positive

reading will result as the area around the heat source/positive lead becomes positively charged. A simple explanation is that the thermally-excited majority free carriers move from the hot probe to the cold probe. The mechanism for this motion with in semiconductor is diffusion type since the material is uniformly doped.

References

Electronic test equipment {{Electronics-stub