Semiconductors are materials that have been specifically designed to be used in electronic devices and circuits. Silicon is the best-known type of semiconductor. Semiconductors are made of materials such as carbon, germanium, silicon, arsenic, and selenium. They have a wide range of uses, including in computer chips, solar energy cells and LED lights.
The term “semiconductor” comes from the fact that these materials have an electrical conductivity that lies between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means they can be used to create devices such as diodes and transistors, which are key components in all sorts of electronic equipment. The first transistor was created in 1947 by scientists at Bell Laboratories.
Semiconductors are made using a process known as crystal growth. This involves melting the material to form a “boule” or ingot, which is then cooled very slowly so that it forms a large single crystal. This crystal is then cut into thin wafers, which are the basis for all semiconductor products.
The properties of a semiconductor can be changed by adding impurities to the crystal structure during manufacture. This process is known as doping and it allows engineers to tailor the properties of a semiconductor to suit its intended use. For example, n-type semiconductors have extra electrons added to them (hence the “n”), while p-type semiconductors have atoms removed so they contain “holes” instead – both types can be used in different ways within electronic circuits.
One of the most important applications for semiconductors is in computer chips (also known as microprocessors). These tiny devices contains millions or even billions of individual transistors – tiny switches that can turn electrical current on or off. The number of transistors on a chip has been doubling approximately every two years since their invention – this trend is known as Moore’s Law and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon!