Semiconductor

A semiconductor is a material with an electrical conductance that is intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor. A semiconductor behaves as an insulator at very low temperature, and has an appreciable electrical conductance at room temperature although much lower conductance than a conductor. Commonly used semiconducting materials are silicon, germanium, or gallium arsenide.

Related Topics:
Electrical conductance - Insulator - Conductor - Room temperature

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A semiconductor can be distinguished from a conductor by the fact that, at absolute zero, the uppermost filled electron energy band is fully filled in a semiconductor, but only partially filled in a conductor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The distinction between a semiconductor and an insulator is slightly more arbitrary. A semiconductor has a band gap which is small enough such that its conduction band is appreciably thermally populated with electrons at room temperature, whilst an insulator has a band gap which is too wide for there to be appreciable thermal electrons in its conduction band at room temperature.

Related Topics:
Band gap - Conduction band

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~