The term semiconductor is defined as a material that acts as an insulator or as a conductor, this will depend on certain factors such as pressure, magnetic field or the ambient temperature where it is located. One of the most widely used semiconductor elements is the metalloid chemical element "Silicon", then it is followed by germanium and lately sulfur has been used.
It can then be said that semiconductors establish an intermediate contradiction between insulators and conductors. In the case of the former, they have few mobile charges, which allows them to have a high resistance to the passage of current. While insulators have a very low electrical resistance (almost zero) as a result of their richness in these charges.
Semiconductors are generally insulative at zero degrees Kelvin and allow current to pass at room temperature. This ability to carry current can be controlled through the inclusion of different atoms in the material other than the semiconductor, called impurities.
There are two types of semiconductors:
- Intrinsic: they are crystals that by means of covalent bonds between atoms create a tetrahedral model structure at room temperature; These crystals have electrons that attract the energy they need to reach the conduction band, with an electron hole remaining in the valence band.
- Extrinsic: When a bit of impurities are added to an intrinsic semiconductor, it will become extrinsic and is said to be "doped."
As already mentioned, the two most frequently used semiconductor industry are silicon and germanium, as they are used in the manufacture of various electronic equipment used today day.
