Question

The emission of electrons from the host atoms due to the high electric field is known as (A) avalanche field emission (B) Breakdown field emission (C) zener field emission (D) internal field emission

Short answer

The correct term for the phenomenon of emitting electrons from host atoms due to a high electric field is (B) Breakdown Field Emission. It leads to a rapid breakdown of the material's insulating properties and increased electrical conductivity.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Avalanche Field Emission

Avalanche field emission occurs when there is a high electric field in a material that causes free electrons to gain enough energy to produce more free electrons through collisions with host atoms. This creates an exponential increase or "avalanche" in the number of free electrons, leading to a sudden and often catastrophic breakdown of the insulating properties of the material.

Understanding Breakdown Field Emission

Breakdown field emission refers to the phenomenon where the electric field in a material becomes sufficiently high to cause a rapid breakdown of the insulating properties of the material, leading to the release of electrons from host atoms and a sudden increase in electrical conductivity.

Understanding Zener Field Emission

Zener field emission, also known as Zener breakdown, is a process that can occur in semiconductors under the influence of a high electric field. Similar to avalanche field emission, electrons are accelerated through collisions with host atoms, resulting in the generation of more free electrons. However, in Zener breakdown, the energy gained by the electrons comes from the strong electric field, rather than from thermal energy.

Understanding Internal Field Emission

Internal field emission, or internal photoemission, is the process by which electrons overcome the energy barriers existing between different materials or layers of a device, such as a metal-semiconductor or insulator-semiconductor interface, due to the presence of electric fields.

Identifying the Correct Term

From the provided options, it is clear that the correct term for the emission of electrons from the host atoms due to the high electric field is (B) Breakdown Field Emission. This process causes a rapid breakdown of the insulating properties of the material, leading to the release of electrons from host atoms and increased electrical conductivity.