Silicon

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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 some inherent problems. ...

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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 within one
solid ...

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