Uses of Silicon in Electronics
Learn Uses of Silicon in Electronics and Application of Silicon in Semiconductor Devices and Electronics and Everyday Life.
Here we Learn about Uses of Silicon in Electronics and Application of Silicon in Semiconductor Devices and Electronics and Everyday Life.
Uses of Silicon in Electronics
What is Silicon?
Silicon, atomic number 14 on the periodic table, is a semiconducting material from which integrated circuits (computer chips of all types – processors, memory chips, etc.; CCDs; transistors; etc) and semiconductor devices are made.
Silicon is one of the most common elements on Earth in the Earth’s crust, it’s second in mass only to oxygen and can be found in any quartz crystal. Beach sand is largely silicon. Silicon is also the semiconductor material out of which almost all modern transistors are made.
Silicon and Silicon Atomic Structure
Uses of Silicon in Electronics
In electronics, silicon (Si) is primarily used to make Semiconductor devices.
Pure silicon forms rigid crystals because of its four valence (outermost) electron structure – one Si atom bonds to four other Si atoms forming a very regularly shaped diamond pattern.
Pure silicon is not a conductor because there are no free electrons; all the electrons are tightly bound to neighboring atoms.
To make silicon conducting, producers combine or “dope” pure silicon with very small amounts of other elements like boron or phosphorus.
Phosphorus has five outer valence electrons. When three silicon atoms and one phosphorus atom bind together in the basic silicon crystal cell of four atoms, there is an extra electron and a net negative charge.
This type of material is called n-type silicon. The extra electron in the crystal cell is not strongly attached and can be released by normal thermal energy to carry current; the conductivity depends on the amount of phosphorus added to the silicon.
Boron has only three valance electrons. When three silicon atoms and one boron atom bind with each other there is a “hole” where another electron would be if the boron atom were silicon. This gives the crystal cell a positive net charge (referred to as p-type silicon), and the ability to pick up an electron easily from a neighboring cell.
The resulting migration of electron vacancies or holes acts like a flow of positive charge through the crystal and can support a current. It is sometimes convenient to refer to this current as a flow of positive holes, but in fact the current is really the result of electrons moving in the opposite direction from vacancy to vacancy.
Silicone devices play a very important role in modern day computers, telecommunications and advanced electronics.
Integrated Circuits (IC), Microprocessors, Keypad, keyboard are all made with silicone.
Check:
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Silicon Uses in Everyday Life
Silicon is found in abundant on earth and is used by almost everyone in Everyday life.
- It is used in building construction in form of beach sand and bricks.
- It is used to make Pottery and Ceramics in the form of mud.
- It is used in Computers, Mobile Phones and other such Electronic Gadgets in the form of IC Chips.
- Silicon is used in making Glass.
- Even our bones and skeleton has silicon
Silicon and its Uses in Electronics and Everyday Life
FAQs: Silicon in Electronics
How is Silicon Used in Integrated Circuits?
Silicon wafers are the foundation of integrated circuits (ICs). These wafers are thinly sliced from a silicon crystal and coated with various materials to create transistors, capacitors, and other components. The wafer goes through a series of processes, including photolithography and etching, to form intricate circuit patterns that enable the flow and manipulation of electrical currents.
Is Silicon the Only Semiconductor Used in Electronics?
While silicon dominates the semiconductor industry, other materials like gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, and indium phosphide are also used in specific applications. Silicon's popularity arises from its abundance, ease of manufacturing, and compatibility with existing processes. However, other materials excel in areas like high-frequency applications and extreme temperature environments.
How is Moore’s Law Related to Silicon Electronics?
Moore's Law states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, leading to increased computational power and reduced cost per transistor. Silicon's consistent performance improvements, scalability, and manufacturability have played a pivotal role in realizing Moore's Law for several decades.
Can Silicon-based Electronics Become Obsolete?
While silicon has been the backbone of electronics, emerging technologies like quantum computing, carbon nanotubes, and organic semiconductors are pushing the boundaries of traditional silicon-based electronics. While it's unlikely that silicon will become entirely obsolete, these new materials and technologies offer unique advantages, such as quantum parallelism and flexibility, which could revolutionize specific applications and industries.
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