What are Semiconductors ?

Materials such as paper, wood, resin, etc. that block electricity are called "insulators", by contraries, those materials that conduct electricity such as copper wires/steel are called "conductors". "Semiconductors" are neither of the two and can be insulators or conductors depending on the given conditions.

The main semiconductor materials are silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge). In the periodical table of the elements they fall under the column of carbon (C). Silicon is found in sand as SiO2 and, therefore, abundantly available throughout the globe. However, silicon cannot be used as semiconductors as is. It is necessary to transform it into single-crystal carbon like that of diamonds. It looks like the process of manufacturing is not easy.

1 H hydrogen

2 He helium

3 Li lithium

4 Be beryllium

5 B boron

6 C carbon

7 N nitrogen

8 O oxygen

9 F fluorine

10 Ne neon

11 Na sodium

12 Mg magnesium

13 Al aluminium

14 Si silicon

15 P phosphorus

16 S sulphur

17 Cl chlorine

18 Ar argon

19 K potassium

20 Ca calcium

21 Sc scandium

22 Ti titanium

23 V vanadium

24 Cr chromium

25 Mn manganese

26 Fe iron

27 Co cabalt

28 Ni nickel

29 Cu copper

30 Zn zinc

31 Ga gallimu

32 Ge germanium

33 As arsenic

34 Se selenium

35 Br bromine

36 Kr krypton