Ultimately the metallurgists Scaff and Ohl agreed that certain elements added to the silicon (such as phosphorus) would add excess electrons to its outer band of electrons; those extra electrons could, in turn, move around and help the silicon conduct current, just as they might in a conductor such as copper. This was n-type silicon. On the other hand, certain other elements added to the silicon (such as boron) created additional empty spaces for electrons in the outer band—these became known as holes. These so-called holes, much like electrons, could also move about and conduct current, like
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