Most people have heard of microchips, but how much do you know about the components that make them possible? Here we will be discussing the many applications of semiconductors˳
What is a semiconductor material?
A semiconductor is a material that has conductivity properties between a conductor, which has the ability to conduct electricity, and a non-conductor or insulator, which doesn’t allow electrical charges to flow through it˳
This means that, under certain conditions, semiconductors have the ability to act either as a conductor or an insulator˳ Semiconductors can be pure elements such as the most commonly used silicon, or compounds such as gallium arsenide˳
Semiconductor devices
The main application of semiconductors is in the creation of semiconductor devices which are essential for a multitude of electronic products˳ Semiconductor devices conduct electric currents in the solid state, instead of as free electrons across a vacuum, and are the successor to vacuum tubes in almost all applications˳
One of the most commonly used semiconductor components is the diode, which acts as a one-way valve in a circuit, only allowing the flow of current in one direction˳ Conversely, conductors allow current to flow in both directions˳
Semiconductors are also used in the design of transistors, which are used both for fast switching and for current amplification˳
The MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) is the most common semiconductor device in the world˳
Semiconductors and microchips
The semiconductor silicon serves as the base material for the microchip, also known as an integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit, a component used in almost every modern electronic device˳
A huge amount of tiny MOSFETs are used in the creation of microchips˳ They are made up of a set of electronic circuits on a small, flat piece of silicon, with many transistors that can turn a current on or off˳
The two main types of microchips are the logic chip and the memory chip˳ Logic chips process information to help electronic devices complete their tasks˳ One of the most widely known and commonly used logic chips is the CPU or central processing unit˳
Memory chips, on the other hand, store information and come in two types – NAND Flash, and ‘working memory’ chips known as DRAM˳
The demand for microchips is so high that there is currently a huge supply issue causing lengthy lead times and availability issues across the electronics industry˳
Semiconductor applications
Semiconductors are used in almost every sector of electronics˳
Consumer electronics: Mobile phones, laptops, games consoles, microwaves and refrigerators all operate with the use of semiconductor components such as integrated chips, diodes and transistors˳ The high demand for these devices is part of the reason there are currently such long wait times for many consumer electronic devices˳
Embedded systems: Embedded systems are small computers that form part of a larger machine˳ They can control the device and allow user interaction˳ Embedded systems that we commonly use include central heating systems, digital watches, GPS systems, fitness trackers, televisions and engine management systems in vehicles˳
Thermal conductivity: Some semiconductors have high thermal conductivity, so can be used as a cooling agent in certain thermoelectric applications˳
Lighting and LED displays: Some semiconductors, usually those available in liquid or amorphous form as a thin-coated film, can produce light and are used in LEDs and OLEDs˳
Solar cells: Silicon is also the most commonly used semiconductor in the production of solar panel cells˳
That concludes our brief guide to the applications of semiconductors˳ As you can see, semiconductors are integral to the modern world and play an important role in the electronic devices we use or come into contact with every day˳