Scientists report that semiconductor innovation could revolutionize solar energy production

Semiconductor (noun, “SEH-mee-con-duck-tur”)

A semiconductor is a material with partial electrical conductivity.

Conductive materials are known as conductors, while insulators are not. Semiconductors fall in the middle, conducting electricity better than insulators but not as well as conductors.

Utilized in phones, laptops, medical devices, and ATMs, semiconductors play a crucial role in making electronics smaller, faster, and smarter.

Semiconductors regulate electron flow in circuits and are essential in creating diodes that allow electron passage in one direction and transistors operating as on-off switches.

Diodes and transistors are composed of semiconductor layers and play a vital role in modern electronics.

Engineers can modulate the conductivity of semiconductors through doping, where the addition of a small amount of another substance, such as phosphorus to silicon, enhances electrical conduction. Altering the temperature also affects semiconductor conductivity, enabling precise customization for specific applications.

Approximately 95% of today’s semiconductor devices rely on silicon due to its affordability and resilience to temperature variations, with Silicon Valley in California named after this prevalent material. Additionally, compounds like gallium arsenide also function as semiconductors.

In a sentence

Light-emitting, nano-sized semiconductor particles revolutionize various modern technologies, including TVs and medical science.

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