A semiconductor material has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Semiconductors are the foundation of modern electronics. Semiconducting materials exist in two types - elemental materials and compound materials. The modern understanding of the properties of a semiconductor relies on quantum physics to explain the movement of electrons and holes in a crystal lattice. The unique arrangement of the crystal lattice makes silicon and germanium the most commonly used elements in the preparation of semiconducting materials. An increased knowledge of semiconductor materials and fabrication processes has made possible continuing increases in the complexity and speed of microprocessors and memory devices. Some of the information on this page may be outdated within a year, due to the fact that new discoveries are made in the field frequently.




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Almost all of today’s technology involves the use of semiconductors, with the most important aspect being the integrated circuit (IC). Some examples of devices that contain integrated circuits includes laptops, scanners, cell-phones, etc. Semiconductors for IC’s are mass-produced. To create an ideal semiconducting material, chemical purity is a must. Any small imperfection can have a drastic affect on how the semiconducting material behaves due to the scale that which the materials are used.




Semiconductors are defined by their unique electric conductive behavior, somewhere between that of a metal and an insulator. The differences between these materials can be understood in terms of the quantum states for electrons, each of which may contain zero or one electron (by the Pauli exclusion principle). These states are associated with the electronic band structure of the material. wikipedia

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