materialsscienceandengineering:
Semiconductors
Metals are considered conductors because they have “free” electrons that are capable of flowing throughout the material, insulators, on the other hand, don’t have electrons that are capable of this sort of movement. Materials whose conductivity falls between that of a conductor, like copper, and an insulator, like glass, semiconductors are the foundation of modern electronics. For the most part, semiconductors are made of materials that don’t conduct electricity but have a few atoms with loose electrons, enabling a current to pass through the material.
The most common semiconductor material, silicon, is naturally a poor conductor in its pure form. It’s only through doping, or the addition of impurities, that an excess or shortage of electrons is created, allowing for better conduction.
Because these materials are not pure insulators or pure conductors, they are very useful for modulating electrical currents in ways that conductors can’t. Specifically controlling the amount and types of dopants added allows for further control of a semiconductor’s properties.
All you ever wanted to know about semiconductors.
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