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Semiconductor raw materials

Download "Chapter I : Basis of Semiconductors" (PDF:1.2MB)

Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), which are the main raw materials for semiconductors, belong to Group IV.* Pure crystals (intrinsic semiconductors) have properties close to those of an insulator. However, adding trace amounts of impurities (diffusion or doping) significantly reduces the electrical resistance and makes them exhibit the properties of a conductor. Depending on the type of impurity added, n-type and p-type semiconductors can be formed. Impurities used to form n-type semiconductors include phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb). Impurities used to form p-type semiconductors include boron (B), gallium (Ga), and indium (In).

Compound semiconductors are made from multiple elements, unlike silicon semiconductors, which are made from a single element. Examples of combinations include elements from group III and group V, group II and group VI, and group IV elements. SiC and GaN, which are wide band gap semiconductors that have been in the spotlight recently, are also compound semiconductors.

*: Currently, the long periodic table is generally used, but the short periodic table is used here because it is easier to explain the properties and behavior of the elements that are the raw materials for semiconductors, as they are arranged based on the electron shells of the atoms. In the short periodic table, the groups of elements are designated by Roman numerals, while in the long periodic table, they are designated by Arabic numerals, and their values are also different. For example, Si is both in group IV and group 14.