Semiconductors : The Silicon Chip

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and a
variety of other devices. Silicon belongs to the group IV in the periodic
table. It is a grey brittle material with a diamond cubic structure.
Silicon is conventionally doped with Phosphorus, Arsenic and Antimony and
Boron, Aluminum, and Gallium acceptors. The energy gap of silicon is 1.1
eV. This value permits the operation of silicon semiconductors devices at
higher temperatures than germanium.
Now I will give you some brief history of the evolution of electronics
which will help you understand more about semiconductors and the silicon
chip. In the early 1900's before integrated circuits and silicon chips
were invented, computers and radios were made with vacuum tubes. The
vacuum tube was invented in 1906 by Dr.Lee DeForest. Throughout the first
half of the 20th century, vacuum tubes were used to conduct, modulate and
amplify electrical signals. They made possible a variety of new products
including the radio and the computer. However vacuum tubes had ...

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regions were called n-type to signify and
excess of negative charge. Less electrons, or an excess of positive charge,
created p-type regions. By allowing this dopant to take place in carefully
delineated areas on the surface of the semiconductor, p-type regions could
be created within n-type regions, and vice-versa. The transistor was much
smaller than the vacuum tube, did not get very hot, and did not require a
headed filament that would eventually burn out.
Finally in 1958, integrated circuits were invented. By the mid 1950's,
the first commercial transistors were being shipped. However research
continued. The scientist began to think that if one transistor could be
built ...

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