Semiconductor materials and products. Scheme, description

Free technical library

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RADIO ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Free library / Schemes of radio-electronic and electrical devices

Semiconductor materials and products. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Free technical library

Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Electricity for beginners

Comments on the article

Semiconductors include a large number of materials that differ from each other in internal structure, chemical composition and electrical properties. According to the chemical composition, crystalline semiconductor materials are divided into 4 groups:

1) materials consisting of atoms of one element: germanium, silicon, selenium, phosphorus, boron, indium, gallium, etc.;

2) materials consisting of metal oxides: copper oxide, zinc oxide, cadmium oxide, titanium dioxide, etc.;

3) materials based on compounds of atoms of the third and fifth groups of the Mendeleev's system of elements, denoted by the general formula and called antimonides. This group includes compounds of antimony with indium, with gallium, etc., compounds of atoms of the second and sixth groups, as well as compounds of atoms of the fourth group;

4) semiconductor materials of organic origin, such as polycyclic aromatic compounds: anthracene, naphthalene, etc.

According to the crystal structure, semiconductor materials are divided into 2 groups: single-crystal and polycrystalline semiconductors.

The first group includes materials obtained in the form of large single crystals (single crystals). Among them are germanium, silicon, from which plates are cut for rectifiers and other semiconductor devices.

The second group of materials are semiconductors, which consist of many small crystals soldered together.

Polycrystalline semiconductors are: selenium, silicon carbide, etc.

In terms of volume resistivity, semiconductors occupy an intermediate position between conductors and dielectrics. Some of them dramatically reduce electrical resistance when exposed to high voltage. This phenomenon has found application in valve arresters for the protection of power lines. Other semiconductors dramatically reduce their resistance when exposed to light. This is used in photocells and photoresistors.

A common property for semiconductors is that they have both electron and hole conduction.

Author: Smirnova L.N.

See other articles Section Electricity for beginners.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Air trap for insects 01.05.2024

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy, and pest control is an integral part of this process. A team of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem - a wind-powered insect air trap. This device addresses the shortcomings of traditional pest control methods by providing real-time insect population data. The trap is powered entirely by wind energy, making it an environmentally friendly solution that requires no power. Its unique design allows monitoring of both harmful and beneficial insects, providing a complete overview of the population in any agricultural area. “By assessing target pests at the right time, we can take necessary measures to control both pests and diseases,” says Kapil ... >>

The threat of space debris to the Earth's magnetic field 01.05.2024

More and more often we hear about an increase in the amount of space debris surrounding our planet. However, it is not only active satellites and spacecraft that contribute to this problem, but also debris from old missions. The growing number of satellites launched by companies like SpaceX creates not only opportunities for the development of the Internet, but also serious threats to space security. Experts are now turning their attention to the potential implications for the Earth's magnetic field. Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics emphasizes that companies are rapidly deploying satellite constellations, and the number of satellites could grow to 100 in the next decade. The rapid development of these cosmic armadas of satellites can lead to contamination of the Earth's plasma environment with dangerous debris and a threat to the stability of the magnetosphere. Metal debris from used rockets can disrupt the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Both of these systems play a key role in protecting the atmosphere and maintaining ... >>

Solidification of bulk substances 30.04.2024

There are quite a few mysteries in the world of science, and one of them is the strange behavior of bulk materials. They may behave like a solid but suddenly turn into a flowing liquid. This phenomenon has attracted the attention of many researchers, and we may finally be getting closer to solving this mystery. Imagine sand in an hourglass. It usually flows freely, but in some cases its particles begin to get stuck, turning from a liquid to a solid. This transition has important implications for many areas, from drug production to construction. Researchers from the USA have attempted to describe this phenomenon and come closer to understanding it. In the study, the scientists conducted simulations in the laboratory using data from bags of polystyrene beads. They found that the vibrations within these sets had specific frequencies, meaning that only certain types of vibrations could travel through the material. Received ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Return of Odysseus 02.04.2009

In Homer's "Odyssey" various astronomical events are repeatedly mentioned.

So, in sailing from Troy to Ithaca, Odysseus focuses on the constellations Pleiades and Bootes (and they are visible in the sky at the same time only in March and September). On the morning of arrival at Ithaca, Venus is visible before sunrise. The phase of the moon is approaching the new moon. Homer also writes that the god Hermes flew to the western island of Ogygia and immediately flew back to the east.

This is associated with the movement of Mercury (the Roman name of Hermes) through the sky. The planet changes its apparent direction of motion from west to east every 116 days. And most importantly, in Canto XX, the soothsayer Theoclymenes, predicting the death of Penelope's suitors, speaks of a "terrible shadow" that "rises on the heavenly sun" and "under it the whole earth is covered with darkness" - a clear description of a solar eclipse.

Comparing all these indications, employees of the Rockefeller University (USA) Marcello Magnasco and Constantino Baykuzis calculated the day when Odysseus returned from a long voyage. Dates of past solar eclipses are known with great accuracy.

The astronomical phenomena indicated by Homer during the eclipse in the region of the Ionian Islands coincide only once in 2000 years, and it turns out that the eclipse mentioned in the poem fell on April 16, 1178 BC.

Other interesting news:

▪ Fuel from the air

▪ Artificial embryos from stem cells

▪ potato starch

▪ Cota - technology for charging gadgets over the air

▪ Qualcomm 8-core chip

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Intercoms. Article selection

▪ article Whatever happens. Popular expression

▪ article Why do people faint? Detailed answer

▪ article electrician. Job description

▪ article Signal indicator on the motor. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article A simple motor soft starter up to 4 kW. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews