INTRODUNCTION

Semiconductors are the materials which have a conductivity between conductors (generally
metals) and non-conductors or insulators (such as ceramics). Semiconductors can be
compounds such as gallium arsenide or pure elements, such as germanium or silicon,
selenium, carbon.

Semiconductors are an essential component of electronic devices, enabling advances

in communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, clean energy,
and countless other applications.

Semiconductors are employed in the manufacture of various kinds of electronic devices,

including diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits. Such devices have found wide
application

PROPERTIES OF SEMICONDUCTORS

Materials that allow electrical conductivity are, naturally enough, called conductors.
Examples include gold, silver, and copper. Insulators, on the other hand, have high resistance
and prevent electrical conductivity. Rubber, glass, and ceramics are insulators.

Semiconductors, as the name implies, possess characteristics of both conductors and

insulators. Usually crystalline in form, semiconductors have low numbers of free electrons,
which are needed for conductivity. Instead, their atoms group together to form a crystal
lattice through which electrical conductivity is possible, but only under the right conditions.

At low temperatures, semiconductors allow little or no conductivity and act as insulators. At

room temperature or when exposed to light, voltage, or heat, however, they can conduct
electricity. It is this quasi state between conductors and insulators that makes semiconductors
so important to electronic devices, as they control how, when, and where electricity flows

 The followings are general Characteristics of semiconductors

i. The resistivity of a semiconductor is less than an insulator but more than a conductor.
ii. Semiconductors have negative temperature co-efficient of resistance i.e. the resistance
of a semiconductor decreases with the increase in temperature and vice-versa. For
example, germanium is actually an insulator at low temperatures but it becomes a
good conductor at high temperatures.
 Hence at zero kelvin, semiconductors behave as insulators.
iii. When a suitable metallic impurity (e.g. arsenic, gallium etc.) is added to a
semiconductor, its Current conducting properties change appreciably.

The commonly known semiconductor materials are silicon, germanium, and gallium
arsenide. Of the three, germanium was one of the earliest semiconductor materials used.

The most used semiconductor material is silicon.

Since the early 1960s silicon has become by far the most widely used semiconductor,
virtually supplanting germanium as a material for device fabrication.

The pure form of silicon has an atomic structure that makes it highly effective as a
semiconductor. This means it has the conductive properties of metal as well as being an
insulator, so silicon can conduct and block electricity. This ability makes silicon ideal for
various mechanisms.

REASONS WHY SILICON IS THE MOST USED SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

Although there are other semiconductor materials available today, silicon is the most
commonly used. There are a many reasons silicon is the preferred material for electronic
devices.

In addition to its availability, silicon forms a nice stable oxide and is relatively strong and
easy to handle. The abundance of silicon makes it possible to create wafers of all shapes and
sizes, no matter how big or small the requirement.

These are reasons that make silicon the best choice for electronic devices.

i. Silicon is much greater stable at High temperature than other materials

Each has four valence electrons, but germanium will at a given temperature have more free
electrons and a higher conductivity. Silicon is by far the more widely used semiconductor for
electronics, partly because it can be used at much higher temperatures than germanium.

The structure of germanium crystals is destroyed at high temperatures, but silicon crystals are
not easily damaged by excess heat.
 ii. Small Reverse Leakage Current

Semiconductor devices are prone if the temperature rises above their specified temperature
range. The leakage current increase with an increase in temperature. If we compare the
silicon and germanium for the leakage current, the leakage current of the silicon crystal is less
than the germanium crystal.

iii. easy to fabricate

Silicon, a very common element, is used as the raw material of semiconductors

Silica is melted in a furnace at around 1,700 °C and is reacted with carbon to produce impure
silicon. The high-quality silicon in chips is made by melting chemically purified silicon and
letting it recrystallize slowly,This process is not complicated as to other semiconductor
material

iv. provides good general electrical and mechanical properties

Silicon is the most suitable for high current applications because it has a very high forward
current in a range of ten amps or even more, while germanium have a very low on-state
current in a range of micro amps.

Silicon elements are able to bind atoms tightly and in complex arrangements.

v. Silicon is the most abundant semiconductor material

The most obvious is the abundance of silicon in the Earth’s crust. Silicon can be obtained
through extremely effective extraction and purification methods.

The abundance of silicon makes it inexpensive and easy to acquire.

vi. High Reverse Breakdown Voltage( PIV)

The higher PIV is desirable for high voltage rectification. Peak inverse voltage (PIV) is the
reverse voltage that a diode sustains during its reverse biasing.

The high reverse breakdown voltage or PIV of the Si diode has a reverse breakdown voltage
of about 70 to 1000 V, while the PIV of the germanium diode is about 50 V.
 vii. Good for High Power Applications

Silicon-based semiconductor devices can deliver high power up to 50 Watts, while

germanium can only deliver power below 10W.

viii. Cost-effective

Since Silicon is abundantly available on the earth’s surface. On the other hand, germanium is
a rare material that is typically found in copper, lead, and silver deposits. Also, the processing
cost of the silicon is less than the germanium. Overall, silicon is cheaper than germanium.

This is the biggest reason why silicon is the most widely used semiconductor material