Semiconductors are those materials that have conductivity in between conductors and insulators. Elements that fall under this category include silicon, germanium, etc and compounds like gallium arsenide.
Types of Semiconductors
On the basis of purity, semiconductors are of two types- Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic semiconductors are pure semiconductors without any presence of dopants. While extrinsic semiconductors have impurities (dopants) present.
Extrinsic semiconductors are further divided into two types- N-type semiconductors and P-type semiconductors.
N-type semiconductors are doped with impurities that have usually one or more valance electrons than the semiconductor. For example, say we are doping Silicon, an element with a valency of four with Phosphorus with a valency of five. Then we'll get an N-type semiconductor. Due to an extra electron of the dopant, an excess of negative charge carriers i.e electrons is created. Hence, its name.
P-type semiconductors are doped with impurities that have at least one valence electron less than the semiconductor. One example is Silicon doped with aluminium. Here, the dopant accepts one electron from the neighbouring silicon atom to complete its octet. Thus, it creates a positively charged hole in that silicon atom. These holes are carriers of charge and hence got their name.
Uses and future of semiconductors
Semiconductors are used in a variety of electronic devices such as transistors, integrated circuits, diodes and rectifiers. Semiconductors are also used in the manufacture of electronic chips. So, we use semiconductors in almost all electronic devices from smartphones to PCs.
Semiconductors are also used to make temperature sensors which are then used in air conditioners and rice cookers. We use semiconductors in LED bulbs too. They help in the proper functioning of ATM machines, trains, internet and other necessary services. Even the logistics systems use semiconductors to save energy and promote the preservation of the environment. Many of our modern household devices such as washing machines, ovens, dryers, etc use semiconductors to connect with our smartphones.
Overall, semiconductors control a wide range of devices and services that we use in our daily lives from smartphones to ATMs to washing machines. In the future, we'll see AI and semiconductors working together and they will change many of the well-established industries forever. Such as healthcare, automotive, media, agriculture, construction and financial services.
One big problem for the future of semiconductors would be that it's fast reaching the limitations of Moore's Law. Moore's Law states that the number of transistors on a microchip is doubling every two years but the cost of the computers is halved. So, the manufacturers need to find new ways to improve the performance of semiconductors.
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