Silicon, germanium and compound semiconductors for electronics.
Silicon dominates; germanium, GaAs, GaN, SiC and InP serve special needs (optoelectronics, power, RF). Wafer growth by Czochralski process, doping by diffusion/implantation, thin films by CVD/epitaxy. Band gap and mobility determine device performance.
GaN transistors switch faster than silicon in chargers.
Semiconductor materials make transistors and solar cells possible, so choosing the right one sets the speed, efficiency and cost of a device.
Silicon, germanium and compound semiconductors for electronics.
Semiconductor materials make transistors and solar cells possible, so choosing the right one sets the speed, efficiency and cost of a device.
It has a suitable band gap, an excellent native oxide and a mature, low-cost manufacturing base.
They can have direct band gaps and higher electron mobility, which suits light emission and high-frequency devices.
Typical applications include using silicon for most integrated circuits because it is cheap and well understood, choosing gallium arsenide for a fast microwave amplifier and selecting a compound semiconductor for an LED of a particular colour.
Study "Biomaterials" first (topic 51 of 100 in Materials & Chemical). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Direct vs indirect band gap. Wide-band-gap power devices. Purity 99.9999999%.
GaN transistors switch faster than silicon in chargers.
The next topic is "Magnetic materials", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Intermediate in Materials & Chemical (topic 52 of 100). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Materials & Chemical first.
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