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{{Short description|Electronic component that exploits the electronic properties of semiconductor materials}}
{{dablink|For information on semiconductor physics, see ].}}
{{For|information on semiconductor physics|Semiconductor}}
'''Semiconductor devices''' are ]s that exploit the ] properties of ] materials, principally ], ], and ]. Semiconductor devices have replaced ] (vacuum tubes) in most applications. They use ] ] in the ] as opposed to the ] or thermionic emission in a high vacuum.
{{More citations needed|date=July 2017}}
]


A '''semiconductor device''' is an ] that relies on the ] properties of a ] material (primarily ], ], and ], as well as ]s) for its function. Its conductivity lies between conductors and insulators. Semiconductor devices have replaced ]s in most applications. They ] ] in the ], rather than as free electrons across a ] (typically liberated by ]) or as free electrons and ions through ].
Semiconductor devices are manufactured as single discrete devices or '']s'' (ICs), which consist of a number—from a few devices to millions—of devices manufactured onto a single semiconductor substrate.


Semiconductor devices are manufactured both as single ]s and as ]s, which consist of two or more devices—which can number from the hundreds to the billions—manufactured and interconnected on a single semiconductor ] (also called a substrate).
==Semiconductor device fundamentals==


The main reason semiconductor materials are so useful is that the behaviour of a semiconductor can be easily manipulated by the addition of impurities, known as ]. Semiconductor ] can be controlled by introduction of an electric field, by exposure to ], and even pressure and heat; thus, semiconductors can make excellent sensors. Current conduction in a ] occurs via mobile or "free" '']'' and '']'' (collectively known as '']s''). Doping a semiconductor such as ] with a small amount of impurity atoms, such as ] or ], greatly increases the number of free electrons or holes within the semiconductor. When a doped semiconductor contains excess holes it is called "p-type", and when it contains excess free electrons it is known as "n-type". The semiconductor material used in devices is doped under highly controlled conditions in a fabrication facility, or '']'', to precisely control the location and concentration of p- and n-type dopants. The junctions which form where n-type and p-type semiconductors join together are called ]s. Semiconductor materials are useful because their behavior can be easily manipulated by the deliberate addition of impurities, known as ]. Semiconductor ] can be controlled by the introduction of an electric or magnetic field, by exposure to ] or heat, or by the mechanical deformation of a doped ] grid; thus, semiconductors can make excellent sensors. Current conduction in a semiconductor occurs due to mobile or "free" ] and ]s, collectively known as ]s. Doping a semiconductor with a small proportion of an atomic impurity, such as ] or ], greatly increases the number of free electrons or holes within the semiconductor. When a doped semiconductor contains excess holes, it is called a ] (''p'' for positive ]); when it contains excess free electrons, it is called an ] (''n'' for a negative electric charge). A majority of mobile charge carriers have negative charges. The manufacture of semiconductors controls precisely the location and concentration of p- and n-type dopants. The connection of n-type and p-type semiconductors form ]s.


The most common semiconductor device in the world is the ] (metal–oxide–semiconductor ]),<ref name="Golio">{{cite book |last1=Golio |first1=Mike |last2=Golio |first2=Janet |title=RF and Microwave Passive and Active Technologies |date=2018 |publisher=] |isbn=9781420006728 |page=18-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCj9jxSVQKIC&pg=SA18-PA2}}</ref> also called the MOS ]. As of 2013, billions of MOS transistors are manufactured every day.<ref name="computer history-transistor">{{cite web |title=Who Invented the Transistor? |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/who-invented-the-transistor/ |website=] |date=4 December 2013 |access-date=20 July 2019}}</ref> Semiconductor devices made per year have been growing by 9.1% on average since 1978, and shipments in 2018 are predicted for the first time to exceed 1 trillion,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icinsights.com/news/bulletins/Semiconductor-Shipments-Forecast-To-Exceed-1-Trillion-Devices-In-2018/|title=Semiconductor Shipments Forecast to Exceed 1 Trillion Devices in 2018|quote=Annual semiconductor unit shipments (integrated circuits and Opto-sensor-discrete, or O-S-D, devices) are expected to grow 9% For 2018, semiconductor unit shipments are forecast to climb to 1,075.1 billion, which equates to 9% growth for the year. Starting in 1978 with 32.6 billion units and going through 2018, the compound annual growth rate for semiconductor units is forecast to be 9.1%, a solid growth figure over the 40-year span.<!--
===]===
Over the span of just four years (2004-2007), semiconductor shipments broke through the 400-, 500-, and 600-billion unit levels before the global financial meltdown caused a big decline in semiconductor unit shipments in 2008 and 2009--> In 2018, O-S-D devices are forecast to account for 70% of total semiconductor units compared to 30% for ICs.|website=www.icinsights.com|access-date=2018-04-16}}</ref> meaning that well over 7 <!--7.3+ in the decade prior just adding from the graph--> trillion have been made to date.
The ''p-n junction diode'' is a device made from a p-n junction. At the junction of a p-type and an n-type semiconductor there forms a region called the ] which blocks current conduction from the n-type region to the p-type region, but allows current to conduct from the p-type region to the n-type region. Thus when the device is ''forward biased'', with the p-side at higher ], the diode conducts current easily; but the current is very small when the diode is ''reverse biased''.


==Main types==
Exposing a semiconductor to ] can generate ], which increases the number of free carriers and its conductivity. Diodes optimized to take advantage of this phenomenon are known as '']s''.
] diodes can also be used to generate light, as in ]s and ]s.
Hello


===]=== ===Diode===
{{Main|Diode}}
] are formed from two p-n junctions, in either n-p-n or p-n-p configuration. The middle, or ''base'', region between the junctions is typically very narrow. The other regions, and their associated terminals, are known as the ''emitter'' and the ''collector''. A small current injected through the junction between the base and the emitter changes the properties of the base-collector junction so that it can conduct current even though it is reverse biased. This creates a much larger current between the collector and emitter, controlled by the base-emitter current.
A semiconductor diode is a device typically made from a single ]. At the junction of a p-type and an ], there forms a ] where current conduction is inhibited by the lack of mobile charge carriers. When the device is ''forward biased'' (connected with the p-side, having a higher ] than the n-side), this depletion region is diminished, allowing for significant conduction. Contrariwise, only a very small current can be achieved when the diode is ''reverse biased'' (connected with the n-side at lower electric potential than the p-side, and thus the depletion region expanded).


Exposing a semiconductor to ] can generate ]s, which increases the number of free carriers and thereby the conductivity. Diodes optimized to take advantage of this phenomenon are known as '']s''.
Another type of transistor, the ] operates on the principle that semiconductor conductivity can be increased or decreased by the presence of an electric field. An ] can increase the number of free electrons and holes in a semiconductor, thereby changing its conductivity. The field may be applied by a reverse-biased p-n junction, forming a ''junction field effect transistor'', or ]; or by an electrode isolated from the bulk material by an oxide layer, forming a ''metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor'', or ].
] diodes can also produce light, as in ]s and ]


===Transistor===
The MOSFET is the most used semiconductor device today. The ''gate'' electrode is charged to produce an ] that controls the ] of a "channel" between two terminals, called the ''source'' and ''drain''. Depending on the type of carrier in the channel, the device may be an ''n-channel'' (for electrons) or a ''p-channel'' (for holes) MOSFET. Although the MOSFET is named in part for its "metal" gate, in modern devices ] is typically used instead.
{{main|Transistor}}


====Bipolar junction transistor====
==Semiconductor device materials==
]
{{Main|Semiconductor materials}}
By far, ] (Si) is the most widely used material in semiconductor devices. Its combination of low raw material cost, relatively simple processing, and a useful temperature range make it currently the best compromise among the various competing materials. Silicon used in semiconductor device manufacturing is currently fabricated into ] that are large enough in diameter to allow the production of 300 ] (12 ]) ].


] (BJTs) are formed from two p–n junctions, in either n–p–n or p–n–p configuration. The middle, or ''base'', the region between the junctions is typically very narrow. The other regions, and their associated terminals, are known as the ''emitter'' and the ''collector''. A small current injected through the junction between the base and the emitter changes the properties of the base-collector junction so that it can conduct current even though it is reverse biased. This creates a much larger current between the collector and emitter, controlled by the base-emitter current.
] (Ge) was a widely used early semiconductor material but its thermal sensitivity makes it less useful than silicon. Today, germanium is often alloyed with silicon for use in very-high-speed SiGe devices; ] is a major producer of such devices.


====Field-effect transistor====
] (GaAs) is also widely used in high-speed devices but so far, it has been difficult to form large-diameter boules of this material, limiting the wafer diameter to sizes significantly smaller than silicon wafers thus making mass production of GaAs devices significantly more expensive than silicon.
{{main|Field-effect transistor}}


Another type of transistor, the ] (FET), operates on the principle that semiconductor conductivity can be increased or decreased by the presence of an ]. An electric field can increase the number of free electrons and holes in a semiconductor, thereby changing its conductivity. The field may be applied by a reverse-biased p–n junction, forming a ''junction field-effect transistor'' (]) or by an electrode insulated from the bulk material by an oxide layer, forming a ''metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor'' (]).
Other less common materials are also in use or under investigation.


====Metal-oxide-semiconductor====
] (SiC) has found some application as the raw material for blue ]s (LEDs) and is being investigated for use in semiconductor devices that could withstand very high operating temperatures and environments with the presence of significant levels of ]. ]s have also been fabricated from SiC.
{{Main|MOSFET}}
{{See also|List of semiconductor scale examples|Transistor count}}
] and its Id-Vg curve. At first, when no gate voltage is applied. There is no inversion electron in the channel, the device is OFF. As gate voltage increase, the inversion electron density in the channel increase, the current increases, and the device turns on.]]


The ] (MOSFET, or MOS transistor), a ] device, is by far the most used widely semiconductor device today. It accounts for at least 99.9% of all transistors, and there have been an estimated 13{{nbsp}}] MOSFETs manufactured between 1960 and 2018.<ref name="computerhistory2018">{{cite web |title=13 Sextillion & Counting: The Long & Winding Road to the Most Frequently Manufactured Human Artifact in History |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/13-sextillion-counting-the-long-winding-road-to-the-most-frequently-manufactured-human-artifact-in-history/ |date=April 2, 2018 |website=] |access-date=28 July 2019}}</ref>
Various ] compounds (indium arsenide, indium ], and indium ]) are also being used in LEDs and solid state ]. ] ] is being studied in the manufacture of ] ].


The ''gate'' electrode is charged to produce an electric field that controls the ] of a "channel" between two terminals, called the ''source'' and ''drain''. Depending on the type of carrier in the channel, the device may be an ''n-channel'' (for electrons) or a ''p-channel'' (for holes) MOSFET. Although the MOSFET is named in part for its "metal" gate, in modern devices ] is typically used instead.
==List of common semiconductor devices==
{{listdev}}


===Other types===
Two-terminal devices:
{{See also|Electronic component#Semiconductors}}
*] (avalanche breakdown diode)
{{Incomplete list|date=August 2008}}
*]
''Two-terminal devices:''
*] (rectifier diode)
*] * ]
* ] (rectifier diode)
*]
*] * ]
*] (LED) * ]
*] * ]
*] * ] (LED)
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


Three-terminal devices: ''Three-terminal devices:''
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) * ] (IGBT)
*] (Silicon Controlled Rectifier) * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]


Four-terminal devices: ''Four-terminal devices:''
*] (magnetic field sensor) * ] (magnetic field sensor)
* ] (Optocoupler)


==Materials==
Multi-terminal devices:
{{Main|Semiconductor materials}}
*] (CCD)
By far, ] (Si) is the most widely used material in semiconductor devices. Its combination of low raw material cost, relatively simple processing, and a useful temperature range makes it currently the best compromise among the various competing materials. Silicon used in semiconductor device manufacturing is currently fabricated into ] that are large enough in diameter to allow the production of 300&nbsp;mm (12 in.) ].
*]

*] (RAM)
] (Ge) was a widely used early semiconductor material but its thermal sensitivity makes it less useful than silicon. Today, germanium is often alloyed with silicon for use in very-high-speed SiGe devices; ] is a major producer of such devices.
*] (ROM)

] (GaAs) is also widely used in high-speed devices but so far, it has been difficult to form large-diameter boules of this material, limiting the wafer diameter to sizes significantly smaller than silicon wafers thus making mass production of GaAs devices significantly more expensive than silicon.

] (GaN) is gaining popularity in high-power applications including ], ]s (LEDs), and ] components due to its high strength and thermal conductivity. Compared to silicon, GaN's ] is more than 3 times wider at 3.4 ] and it conducts electrons 1,000 times more efficiently.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallium nitride semiconductors: The Next Generation of Power {{!}} Navitas |date=19 March 2021 |url=https://navitassemi.com/gallium-nitride-the-next-generation-of-power/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is GaN? Gallium Nitride (GaN) Semiconductors Explained |url=https://epc-co.com/epc/gallium-nitride/what-is-gan |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=Efficient Power Conversion}}</ref>

Other less common materials are also in use or under investigation.

] (SiC) is also gaining popularity in ]s and has found some application as the raw material for blue LEDs and is being investigated for use in semiconductor devices that could withstand very high ]s and environments with the presence of significant levels of ]. ]s have also been fabricated from SiC.

Various ] compounds (], ], and ]) are also being used in LEDs and solid-state ]s. ] is being studied in the manufacture of ] ]s.

The most common use for ]s is ]s.


==Applications==
==Semiconductor device applications==
All transistor types can be used as the building blocks of ], which are fundamental in the design of ]. In digital circuits like ], transistors act as on-off switches; in the MOSFET, for instance, the ] applied to the gate determines whether the ] is on or off. All transistor types can be used as the building blocks of ]s, which are fundamental in the design of ]s. In digital circuits like ]s, transistors act as on-off switches; in the ], for instance, the ] applied to the gate determines whether the ] is on or off.


Transistors used for ] do not act as on-off switches; rather, they respond to a continuous range of inputs with a continuous range of outputs. Common analog circuits include ]s and ]s. Transistors used for ]s do not act as on-off switches; rather, they respond to a continuous range of inputs with a continuous range of outputs. Common analog circuits include ]s and ]s.


Circuits that interface or translate between digital circuits and analog circuits are known as ]s. Circuits that interface or translate between digital circuits and analog circuits are known as ].


]s are discrete devices or integrated circuits intended for high current or high voltage applications. Power integrated circuits combine IC technology with power semiconductor technology, these are sometimes referred to as "smart" power devices. Several companies specialize in manufacturing power semiconductors. ]s are discrete devices or integrated circuits intended for high current or high voltage applications. Power integrated circuits combine IC technology with power semiconductor technology, these are sometimes referred to as "smart" power devices. Several companies specialize in manufacturing power semiconductors.


===Component identifiers=== ===Component identifiers===
The ]s of semiconductor devices are often manufacturer specific. Nevertheless, there have been attempts at creating standards for type codes, and a subset of devices follow those. For ]s, for example, there are three standards: ] JESD370B in the United States, ] in Europe, and ] (JIS).


==Fabrication==
The ]s of semiconductor devices are often manufacturer specific. Nevertheless, there have been attempts at creating standards for type codes, and a subset of devices follow those. For ]s, for example, there are three standards: ] JESD370B in ], ] in ] and ] in ].
{{excerpt|Semiconductor device fabrication|templates=-Semiconductor manufacturing processes}}


==History of semiconductor device development==<!-- this heading links to ] history, be advised before changing the name of heading --> ==History of development {{anchor|History of semiconductor device development}}==
{{Further|History of electrical engineering}}


{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2007}}
===1900s===

Semiconductors had been used in the electronics field for some time before the invention of the transistor. Around the turn of the 20th century they were quite common as detectors in ]s, used in a device called a "cat's whisker". These detectors were somewhat troublesome, however, requiring the operator to move a small tungsten filament (the whisker) around the surface of a ] (lead sulfide) or ] (silicon carbide) crystal until it suddenly started working. Then, over a period of a few hours or days, the cat's whisker would slowly stop working and the process would have to be repeated. At the time their operation was completely mysterious. After the introduction of the more reliable and amplified ] based radios, the cat's whisker systems quickly disappeared. The "cat's whisker" is a primitive example of a special type of diode still popular today, called a ].
===Cat's-whisker detector===
{{Main|Cat's-whisker detector}}
Semiconductors had been used in the electronics field for some time before the invention of the transistor. Around the turn of the 20th century they were quite common as detectors in ]s, used in a device called a "cat's whisker" developed by ] and others. These detectors were somewhat troublesome, however, requiring the operator to move a small tungsten filament (the whisker) around the surface of a ] (lead sulfide) or ] (silicon carbide) crystal until it suddenly started working.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Ernest Braun |author2=Stuart MacDonald |name-list-style=amp |title=Revolution in Miniature: The History and Impact of Semiconductor Electronics |year=1982 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-28903-0 |pages=11–13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=03c4wldf-k4C&pg=PA11}}</ref> Then, over a period of a few hours or days, the cat's whisker would slowly stop working and the process would have to be repeated. At the time their operation was completely mysterious. After the introduction of the more reliable and amplified ] based radios, the cat's whisker systems quickly disappeared. The "cat's whisker" is a primitive example of a special type of diode still popular today, called a ].

===Metal rectifier===
{{Main|Metal rectifier}}
Another early type of semiconductor device is the metal rectifier in which the semiconductor is ] or ]. ] was a major manufacturer of these rectifiers.


===World War II=== ===World War II===
During World War II, ] research quickly pushed radar receivers to operate at ever higher ] and the traditional tube based radio receivers no longer worked well. The introduction of the ] from Britain to the United States in 1940 during the ] resulted in a pressing need for a practical high-frequency amplifier. During World War II, ] research quickly pushed radar receivers to operate at ever higher ] about 4000&nbsp;MHz and the traditional tube-based radio receivers no longer worked well. The introduction of the ] from Britain to the United States in 1940 during the ] resulted in a pressing need for a practical high-frequency amplifier.{{Citation needed|date=March 2011}} <!-- or was it an HF rectifier that they needed? -->


On a whim, ] of ] decided to try a cat's whisker. By this point they had not been in use for a number of years, and no one at the labs had one. After hunting one down at a used radio store in ], he found that it worked much better than tube-based systems. On a whim, ] of ] decided to try a ]. By this point, they had not been in use for a number of years, and no one at the labs had one. After hunting one down at a used radio store in ], he found that it worked much better than tube-based systems.


Ohl investigated why the cat's whisker functioned so well. He spent most of 1939 trying to grow more pure versions of the crystals. He soon found that with higher quality crystals their finicky behaviour went away, but so did their ability to operate as a radio detector. One day he found one of his purest crystals nevertheless worked well, and interestingly, it had a clearly visible crack near the middle. However as he moved about the room trying to test it, the detector would mysteriously work, and then stop again. After some study he found that the behaviour was controlled by the light in the room–more light caused more conductance in the crystal. He invited several other people to see this crystal, and ] immediately realized there was some sort of junction at the crack. Ohl investigated why the cat's whisker functioned so well. He spent most of 1939 trying to grow more pure versions of the crystals. He soon found that with higher-quality crystals their finicky behavior went away, but so did their ability to operate as a radio detector. One day he found one of his purest crystals nevertheless worked well, and it had a clearly visible crack near the middle. However, as he moved about the room trying to test it, the detector would mysteriously work, and then stop again. After some study he found that the behavior was controlled by the light in the room – more light caused more conductance in the crystal. He invited several other people to see this crystal, and ] immediately realized there was some sort of junction at the crack.


Further research cleared up the remaining mystery. The crystal had cracked because either side contained very slightly different amounts of the impurities Ohl could not remove–about 0.2%. One side of the crystal had impurities that added extra electrons (the carriers of electrical current) and made it a "conductor". The other had impurities that wanted to bind to these electrons, making it (what he called) an "insulator". Because the two parts of the crystal were in contact with each other, the electrons could be pushed out of the conductive side which had extra electrons (soon to be known as the ''emitter'') and replaced by new ones being provided (from a battery, for instance) where they would flow into the insulating portion and be collected by the whisker filament (named the ''collector''). However, when the voltage was reversed the electrons being pushed into the collector would quickly fill up the "holes" (the electron-needy impurities), and conduction would stop almost instantly. This junction of the two crystals (or parts of one crystal) created a solid-state diode, and the concept soon became known as semiconduction. The mechanism of action when the diode is off has to do with the separation of ] around the junction. This is called a "]". Further research cleared up the remaining mystery. The crystal had cracked because either side contained very slightly different amounts of the impurities Ohl could not remove – about 0.2%. One side of the crystal had impurities that added extra electrons (the carriers of electric current) and made it a "conductor". The other had impurities that wanted to bind to these electrons, making it (what he called) an "insulator". Because the two parts of the crystal were in contact with each other, the electrons could be pushed out of the conductive side which had extra electrons (soon to be known as the ''emitter''), and replaced by new ones being provided (from a battery, for instance) where they would flow into the insulating portion and be collected by the whisker filament (named the ''collector''). However, when the voltage was reversed the electrons being pushed into the collector would quickly fill up the "holes" (the electron-needy impurities), and conduction would stop almost instantly. This junction of the two crystals (or parts of one crystal) created a solid-state diode, and the concept soon became known as semiconduction. The mechanism of action when the diode off has to do with the separation of ]s around the junction. This is called a "]".


===Development of the diode=== ===Development of the diode===
Armed with the knowledge of how these new diodes worked, a vigorous effort began in order to learn how to build them on demand. Teams at ], ], ], and the ] all joined forces to build better crystals. Within a year germanium production had been perfected to the point where military-grade diodes were being used in most radar sets. Armed with the knowledge of how these new diodes worked, a vigorous effort began to learn how to build them on demand. Teams at ], ], ], and the ] all joined forces to build better crystals. Within a year germanium production had been perfected to the point where military-grade diodes were being used in most radar sets.


===Development of the transistor=== ===Development of the transistor===
{{Main|History of the transistor}}
After the war, ] decided to attempt the building of a ]-like semiconductor device. He secured funding and lab space, and went to work on the problem with Brattain and ]. After the war, ] decided to attempt the building of a ]-like semiconductor device. He secured funding and lab space, and went to work on the problem with Brattain and ].


The key to the development of the transistor was the further understanding of the process of the ] in a semiconductor. It was realized that if there was some way to control the flow of the electrons from the emitter to the collector of this newly discovered diode, one could build an amplifier. For instance, if you placed contacts on either side of a single type of crystal the current would not flow through it. However if a third contact could then "inject" electrons or holes into the material, the current would flow. The key to the development of the transistor was the further understanding of the process of the ] in a semiconductor. It was realized that if there were some way to control the flow of the electrons from the emitter to the collector of this newly discovered diode, an amplifier could be built. For instance, if contacts are placed on both sides of a single type of crystal, current will not flow between them through the crystal. However, if a third contact could then "inject" electrons or holes into the material, the current would flow.


Actually doing this appeared to be very difficult. If the crystal were of any reasonable size, the number of electrons (or holes) required to be injected would have to be very large -– making it less than useful as an ] because it would require a large injection current to start with. That said, the whole idea of the crystal diode was that the crystal itself could provide the electrons over a very small distance, the depletion region. The key appeared to be to place the input and output contacts very close together on the surface of the crystal on either side of this region. Actually doing this appeared to be very difficult. If the crystal were of any reasonable size, the number of electrons (or holes) required to be injected would have to be very large, making it less than useful as an ] because it would require a large injection current to start with. That said, the whole idea of the crystal diode was that the crystal itself could provide the electrons over a very small distance, the depletion region. The key appeared to be to place the input and output contacts very close together on the surface of the crystal on either side of this region.


Brattain started working on building such a device, and tantalizing hints of amplification continued to appear as the team worked on the problem. Sometimes the system would work but then stop working unexpectedly. In one instance a non-working system started working when placed in water. Ohl and Brattain eventually developed a new branch of ] known as ] to account for the behaviour. The electrons in any one piece of the crystal would migrate about due to nearby charges. Electrons in the emitters, or the "holes" in the collectors, would cluster at the surface of the crystal where they could find their opposite charge "floating around" in the air (or water). Yet they could be pushed away from the surface with the application of a small amount of charge from any other location on the crystal. Instead of needing a large supply of injected electrons, a very small number in the right place on the crystal would accomplish the same thing. Brattain started working on building such a device, and tantalizing hints of amplification continued to appear as the team worked on the problem. Sometimes the system would work but then stop working unexpectedly. In one instance a non-working system started working when placed in water. Ohl and Brattain eventually developed a new branch of ], which became known as ], to account for the behavior. The electrons in any one piece of the crystal would migrate about due to nearby charges. Electrons in the emitters, or the "holes" in the collectors, would cluster at the surface of the crystal where they could find their opposite charge "floating around" in the air (or water). Yet they could be pushed away from the surface with the application of a small amount of charge from any other location on the crystal. Instead of needing a large supply of injected electrons, a very small number in the right place on the crystal would accomplish the same thing.


Their understanding solved the problem of needing a very small control area to some degree. Instead of needing two separate semiconductors connected by a common, but tiny, region, a single larger surface would serve. The emitter and collector leads would both be placed very close together on the top, with the control lead placed on the base of the crystal. When current was applied to the "base" lead, the electrons or holes would be pushed out, across the block of semiconductor, and collect on the far surface. As long as the emitter and collector were very close together, this should allow enough electrons or holes between them to allow conduction to start. Their understanding solved the problem of needing a very small control area to some degree. Instead of needing two separate semiconductors connected by a common, but tiny, region, a single larger surface would serve. The electron-emitting and collecting leads would both be placed very close together on the top, with the control lead placed on the base of the crystal. When current flowed through this "base" lead, the electrons or holes would be pushed out, across the block of the semiconductor, and collect on the far surface. As long as the emitter and collector were very close together, this should allow enough electrons or holes between them to allow conduction to start.


===The first transistor=== ===First transistor===
] ]
The Bell team made many attempts to build such a system with various tools, but generally failed. Setups where the contacts were close enough were invariably as fragile as the original cat's whisker detectors had been, and would work briefly, if at all. Eventually they had a practical breakthrough. A piece of gold foil was glued to the edge of a plastic wedge, and then the foil was sliced with a razor at the tip of the triangle. The result was two very closely spaced contacts of gold. When the plastic was pushed down onto the surface of a crystal and voltage applied to the other side (on the base of the crystal), current started to flow from one contact to the other as the base voltage pushed the electrons away from the base towards the other side near the contacts. The point-contact transistor had been invented. The Bell team made many attempts to build such a system with various tools but generally failed. Setups, where the contacts were close enough, were invariably as fragile as the original cat's whisker detectors had been, and would work briefly, if at all. Eventually, they had a practical breakthrough. A piece of gold foil was glued to the edge of a plastic wedge, and then the foil was sliced with a razor at the tip of the triangle. The result was two very closely spaced contacts of gold. When the wedge was pushed down onto the surface of a crystal and voltage was applied to the other side (on the base of the crystal), current started to flow from one contact to the other as the base voltage pushed the electrons away from the base towards the other side near the contacts. The point-contact transistor had been invented.


While the device was constructed a week earlier, Brattain's notes describe the first demonstration to higher-ups at Bell Labs on the afternoon of ] ], often given as the birthdate of the transistor. The "PNP point-contact germanium transistor" operated as a speech amplifier with a power gain of 18 in that trial. Known generally as a ] today, ], ], and ] were awarded the ] in physics for their work in 1956. While the device was constructed a week earlier, Brattain's notes describe the first demonstration to higher-ups at Bell Labs on the afternoon of 23 December 1947, often given as the birthdate of the transistor. What is now known as the "]" operated as a speech amplifier with a power gain of 18 in that trial. ], ], and ] were awarded the 1956 ] in physics for their work.


===Origin of the term "transistor"=== ===Etymology of "transistor"===
Bell Telephone Laboratories needed a generic name for their new invention: "Semiconductor Triode", "Solid Triode", "Surface States Triode" , "Crystal Triode" and "Iotatron" were all considered, but "transistor", coined by ], won an internal ballot. The rationale for the name is described in the following extract from the company's Technical Memoranda (] ]) calling for votes: Bell Telephone Laboratories needed a generic name for their new invention: "Semiconductor Triode", "Solid Triode", "Surface States Triode"{{sic}}, "Crystal Triode" and "Iotatron" were all considered, but "transistor", coined by ], won an internal ballot. The rationale for the name is described in the following extract from the company's Technical Memoranda (May 28, 1948) calling for votes:


<blockquote>Transistor. This is an abbreviated combination of the words "transconductance" or "transfer", and "varistor". The device logically belongs in the varistor family, and has the transconductance or transfer impedance of a device having gain, so that this combination is descriptive.</blockquote> <blockquote>Transistor. This is an abbreviated combination of the words "transconductance" or "transfer", and "varistor". The device logically belongs in the varistor family, and has the transconductance or transfer impedance of a device having gain, so that this combination is descriptive.</blockquote>
Line 130: Line 163:
Shockley was upset about the device being credited to Brattain and Bardeen, who he felt had built it "behind his back" to take the glory. Matters became worse when Bell Labs lawyers found that some of Shockley's own writings on the transistor were close enough to those of an earlier 1925 patent by ] that they thought it best that his name be left off the patent application. Shockley was upset about the device being credited to Brattain and Bardeen, who he felt had built it "behind his back" to take the glory. Matters became worse when Bell Labs lawyers found that some of Shockley's own writings on the transistor were close enough to those of an earlier 1925 patent by ] that they thought it best that his name be left off the patent application.


Shockley was incensed, and decided to demonstrate who was the real brains of the operation. Only a few months later he invented an entirely new type of transistor with a layer or 'sandwich' structure. This new form was considerably more robust than the fragile point-contact system, and would go on to be used for the vast majority of all transistors into the 1960s. It would evolve into the ]. Shockley was incensed, and decided to demonstrate who was the real brains of the operation.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} A few months later he invented an entirely new, considerably more robust, ] type of transistor with a layer or 'sandwich' structure, used for the vast majority of all transistors into the 1960s.


With the fragility problems solved, a remaining problem was purity. Making ] of the required purity was proving to be a serious problem, and limited the number of transistors that actually worked from a given batch of material. Germanium's sensitivity to temperature also limited its usefulness. Scientists theorized that silicon would be easier to fabricate, but few bothered to investigate this possibility. ] was the first to develop a working silicon transistor, and his company, the nascent ], profited from its technological edge. Germanium disappeared from most transistors by the late 1960s. With the fragility problems solved, the remaining problem was purity. Making ] of the required purity was proving to be a serious problem and limited the yield of transistors that actually worked from a given batch of material. Germanium's sensitivity to temperature also limited its usefulness. Scientists theorized that silicon would be easier to fabricate, but few investigated this possibility. Former Bell Labs scientist ] was the first to develop a working silicon transistor at the nascent ], giving it a technological edge. From the late 1950s, most transistors were silicon-based. Within a few years transistor-based products, most notably easily portable radios, were appearing on the market. "]", a technique using a band of molten material moving through the crystal, further increased crystal purity.


===Metal-oxide semiconductor===
Within a few years, transistor-based products, most notably radios, were appearing on the market. A major improvement in manufacturing yield came when a chemist advised the companies fabricating semiconductors to use ] rather than tap water: ] ]s were the cause of the poor yields. "]", a technique using a moving band of molten material through the crystal, further increased the purity of the available crystals.
{{Main|MOSFET}}
{{See also|Semiconductor device fabrication}}


In 1955, ] and Lincoln Derick accidentally grew a layer of silicon dioxide over the silicon wafer, for which they observed surface passivation effects.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Huff |first1=Howard |last2=Riordan |first2=Michael |date=2007-09-01 |title=Frosch and Derick: Fifty Years Later (Foreword) |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/2.F02073IF |journal=The Electrochemical Society Interface |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=29 |doi=10.1149/2.F02073IF |issn=1064-8208}}</ref><ref>{{Cite patent|number=US2802760A|title=Oxidation of semiconductive surfaces for controlled diffusion|gdate=1957-08-13|invent1=Lincoln|invent2=Frosch|inventor1-first=Derick|inventor2-first=Carl J.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2802760A}}</ref> By 1957 Frosch and Derick, using masking and predeposition, were able to manufacture silicon dioxide field effect transistors; the first planar transistors, in which drain and source were adjacent at the same surface.<ref name="iopscience.iop.org">{{Cite journal |last1=Frosch |first1=C. J. |last2=Derick |first2=L |date=1957 |title=Surface Protection and Selective Masking during Diffusion in Silicon |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1.2428650 |journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society |language=en |volume=104 |issue=9 |pages=547 |doi=10.1149/1.2428650}}</ref> They showed that silicon dioxide insulated, protected silicon wafers and prevented dopants from diffusing into the wafer.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="iopscience.iop.org"/> At Bell Labs, the importance of Frosch and Derick technique and transistors was immediately realized. Results of their work circulated around Bell Labs in the form of BTL memos before being published in 1957. At ], Shockley had circulated the preprint of their article in December 1956 to all his senior staff, including ],<ref name="Moskowitz">{{cite book |last1=Moskowitz |first1=Sanford L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2STRDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA168 |title=Advanced Materials Innovation: Managing Global Technology in the 21st century |date=2016 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-470-50892-3 |page=168}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Christophe Lécuyer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LaZpUpkG70QC&pg=PA62 |title=Makers of the Microchip: A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor |author2=David C. Brook |author3=Jay Last |date=2010 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-01424-3 |pages=62–63}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Claeys |first1=Cor L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bu22JNYbE5MC&pg=PA27 |title=ULSI Process Integration III: Proceedings of the International Symposium |date=2003 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-56677-376-8 |pages=27–30}}</ref><ref name="Lojek120">{{cite book |last1=Lojek |first1=Bo |title=History of Semiconductor Engineering |date=2007 |publisher=] |isbn=9783540342588 |page=120}}</ref> who would later invent the ] in 1959 while at ].<ref>{{patent|US|3025589|Hoerni, J. A.: "Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Devices” filed May 1, 1959}}</ref><ref>{{patent|US|3064167|Hoerni, J. A.: "Semiconductor device" filed May 15, 1960}}</ref>
==See also==
]
After this, J.R. Ligenza and W.G. Spitzer studied the mechanism of thermally grown oxides, fabricated a high quality Si/] stack and published their results in 1960.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ligenza |first1=J. R. |last2=Spitzer |first2=W. G. |date=1960-07-01 |title=The mechanisms for silicon oxidation in steam and oxygen |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0022369760902195 |journal=Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids |volume=14 |pages=131–136 |doi=10.1016/0022-3697(60)90219-5 |issn=0022-3697}}</ref><ref name="Deal">{{cite book |last1=Deal |first1=Bruce E. |title=Silicon materials science and technology |date=1998 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1566771931 |page=183 |chapter=Highlights Of Silicon Thermal Oxidation Technology |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cr8FPGkiRS0C&pg=PA183}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lojek |first1=Bo |title=History of Semiconductor Engineering |date=2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3540342588 |page=322}}</ref> Following this research, ] and ] proposed a silicon MOS transistor in 1959<ref name="Bassett22">{{cite book |last1=Bassett |first1=Ross Knox |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUbB3d2UnaAC&pg=PA22 |title=To the Digital Age: Research Labs, Start-up Companies, and the Rise of MOS Technology |date=2007 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-8018-8639-3 |pages=22–23}}</ref> and successfully demonstrated a working MOS device with their Bell Labs team in 1960.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Atalla |first1=M. |author1-link=Mohamed Atalla |last2=Kahng |first2=D. |author2-link=Dawon Kahng |date=1960 |title=Silicon-silicon dioxide field induced surface devices |journal=IRE-AIEE Solid State Device Research Conference}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=1960 – Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) Transistor Demonstrated |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/metal-oxide-semiconductor-mos-transistor-demonstrated/ |journal=The Silicon Engine |publisher=] |access-date=2023-01-16}}</ref> Their team included E. E. LaBate and E. I. Povilonis who fabricated the device; M. O. Thurston, L. A. D’Asaro, and J. R. Ligenza who developed the diffusion processes, and H. K. Gummel and R. Lindner who characterized the device.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=KAHNG |first=D. |date=1961 |title=Silicon-Silicon Dioxide Surface Device |url=https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814503464_0076 |journal=Technical Memorandum of Bell Laboratories |pages=583–596 |doi=10.1142/9789814503464_0076 |isbn=978-981-02-0209-5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lojek |first=Bo |title=History of Semiconductor Engineering |date=2007 |publisher=Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg |isbn=978-3-540-34258-8 |location=Berlin, Heidelberg |page=321}}</ref>


With its ],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Motoyoshi |first1=M. |title=Through-Silicon Via (TSV) |journal=Proceedings of the IEEE |date=2009 |volume=97 |issue=1 |pages=43–48 |doi=10.1109/JPROC.2008.2007462 |s2cid=29105721 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8a44/93b535463daa7d7317b08d8900a33b8cbaf4.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719120523/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8a44/93b535463daa7d7317b08d8900a33b8cbaf4.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-07-19 |issn=0018-9219}}</ref> and much lower power consumption and higher density than ]s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Transistors Keep Moore's Law Alive |url=https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1334068 |access-date=18 July 2019 |work=] |date=12 December 2018}}</ref> the MOSFET became the most common type of transistor in computers, electronics,<ref name="Khang">{{cite web |title=Dawon Kahng |url=https://www.invent.org/inductees/dawon-kahng |access-date=27 June 2019 |website=]}}</ref> and ] such as ]s.<ref name="uspto">{{cite web |title=Remarks by Director Iancu at the 2019 International Intellectual Property Conference |url=https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/remarks-director-iancu-2019-international-intellectual-property-conference |website=] |date=June 10, 2019 |access-date=20 July 2019}}</ref> The ] calls the MOSFET a "groundbreaking invention that transformed life and culture around the world".<ref name="uspto" />
*]

*]
Bardeen's 1948 inversion layer concept, forms the basis of CMOS technology today.<ref>{{cite book |author=Howard R. Duff |title=AIP Conference Proceedings |date=2001 |volume=550 |pages=3–32 |chapter=John Bardeen and transistor physics |doi=10.1063/1.1354371 |doi-access=free}}</ref> ] (complementary ]) was invented by ] and ] at ] in 1963.<ref name="computerhistory1963">{{cite web |title=1963: Complementary MOS Circuit Configuration is Invented |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/complementary-mos-circuit-configuration-is-invented/ |website=] |access-date=6 July 2019}}</ref> The first report of a ] was made by Dawon Kahng and ] in 1967.<ref>D. Kahng and S. M. Sze, "A floating gate and its application to memory devices", ''The Bell System Technical Journal'', vol. 46, no. 4, 1967, pp. 1288–1295</ref> ] (fin field-effect transistor), a type of 3D ] MOSFET, was proposed by H. R. Farrah (]) and R. F. Steinberg in 1967<ref name="FarrahSteinberg">{{cite journal |last1=Farrah |first1=H. R. |last2=Steinberg |first2=R. F. |date=February 1967 |title=Analysis of double-gate thin-film transistor |journal=IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=69–74 |bibcode=1967ITED...14...69F |doi=10.1109/T-ED.1967.15901}}</ref> and first built by Digh Hisamoto and his team of researchers at ] in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |title=IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award Recipients |url=https://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/grove-recipients.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909112404/https://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/grove-recipients.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 9, 2018 |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Breakthrough Advantage for FPGAs with Tri-Gate Technology |url=https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/programmable/us/en/pdfs/literature/wp/wp-01201-fpga-tri-gate-technology.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/programmable/us/en/pdfs/literature/wp/wp-01201-fpga-tri-gate-technology.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher=] |year=2014 |access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref>
*]

==See also==
{{Portal|Electronics}}
* ] (DLTS)
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (EDA)
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book|author=Muller, Richard S., and Theodore I. Kamins|title=Device Electronics for Integrated Circuits|year=1986|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|id=ISBN 0-471-88758-7}}

{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author1=Muller, Richard S. |author2=Theodore I. Kamins |name-list-style=amp |title=Device Electronics for Integrated Circuits |year=1986 |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |isbn=978-0-471-88758-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/deviceelectronic00mull}}
{{Refend}}


{{Electronic components}}
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Latest revision as of 01:15, 21 November 2024

Electronic component that exploits the electronic properties of semiconductor materials For information on semiconductor physics, see Semiconductor.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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Outlines of some packaged semiconductor devices

A semiconductor device is an electronic component that relies on the electronic properties of a semiconductor material (primarily silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide, as well as organic semiconductors) for its function. Its conductivity lies between conductors and insulators. Semiconductor devices have replaced vacuum tubes in most applications. They conduct electric current in the solid state, rather than as free electrons across a vacuum (typically liberated by thermionic emission) or as free electrons and ions through an ionized gas.

Semiconductor devices are manufactured both as single discrete devices and as integrated circuits, which consist of two or more devices—which can number from the hundreds to the billions—manufactured and interconnected on a single semiconductor wafer (also called a substrate).

Semiconductor materials are useful because their behavior can be easily manipulated by the deliberate addition of impurities, known as doping. Semiconductor conductivity can be controlled by the introduction of an electric or magnetic field, by exposure to light or heat, or by the mechanical deformation of a doped monocrystalline silicon grid; thus, semiconductors can make excellent sensors. Current conduction in a semiconductor occurs due to mobile or "free" electrons and electron holes, collectively known as charge carriers. Doping a semiconductor with a small proportion of an atomic impurity, such as phosphorus or boron, greatly increases the number of free electrons or holes within the semiconductor. When a doped semiconductor contains excess holes, it is called a p-type semiconductor (p for positive electric charge); when it contains excess free electrons, it is called an n-type semiconductor (n for a negative electric charge). A majority of mobile charge carriers have negative charges. The manufacture of semiconductors controls precisely the location and concentration of p- and n-type dopants. The connection of n-type and p-type semiconductors form p–n junctions.

The most common semiconductor device in the world is the MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), also called the MOS transistor. As of 2013, billions of MOS transistors are manufactured every day. Semiconductor devices made per year have been growing by 9.1% on average since 1978, and shipments in 2018 are predicted for the first time to exceed 1 trillion, meaning that well over 7 trillion have been made to date.

Main types

Diode

Main article: Diode

A semiconductor diode is a device typically made from a single p–n junction. At the junction of a p-type and an n-type semiconductor, there forms a depletion region where current conduction is inhibited by the lack of mobile charge carriers. When the device is forward biased (connected with the p-side, having a higher electric potential than the n-side), this depletion region is diminished, allowing for significant conduction. Contrariwise, only a very small current can be achieved when the diode is reverse biased (connected with the n-side at lower electric potential than the p-side, and thus the depletion region expanded).

Exposing a semiconductor to light can generate electron–hole pairs, which increases the number of free carriers and thereby the conductivity. Diodes optimized to take advantage of this phenomenon are known as photodiodes. Compound semiconductor diodes can also produce light, as in light-emitting diodes and laser diode

Transistor

Main article: Transistor

Bipolar junction transistor

An n–p–n bipolar junction transistor structure

Bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) are formed from two p–n junctions, in either n–p–n or p–n–p configuration. The middle, or base, the region between the junctions is typically very narrow. The other regions, and their associated terminals, are known as the emitter and the collector. A small current injected through the junction between the base and the emitter changes the properties of the base-collector junction so that it can conduct current even though it is reverse biased. This creates a much larger current between the collector and emitter, controlled by the base-emitter current.

Field-effect transistor

Main article: Field-effect transistor

Another type of transistor, the field-effect transistor (FET), operates on the principle that semiconductor conductivity can be increased or decreased by the presence of an electric field. An electric field can increase the number of free electrons and holes in a semiconductor, thereby changing its conductivity. The field may be applied by a reverse-biased p–n junction, forming a junction field-effect transistor (JFET) or by an electrode insulated from the bulk material by an oxide layer, forming a metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

Metal-oxide-semiconductor

Main article: MOSFET See also: List of semiconductor scale examples and Transistor count
Operation of a MOSFET and its Id-Vg curve. At first, when no gate voltage is applied. There is no inversion electron in the channel, the device is OFF. As gate voltage increase, the inversion electron density in the channel increase, the current increases, and the device turns on.

The metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET, or MOS transistor), a solid-state device, is by far the most used widely semiconductor device today. It accounts for at least 99.9% of all transistors, and there have been an estimated 13 sextillion MOSFETs manufactured between 1960 and 2018.

The gate electrode is charged to produce an electric field that controls the conductivity of a "channel" between two terminals, called the source and drain. Depending on the type of carrier in the channel, the device may be an n-channel (for electrons) or a p-channel (for holes) MOSFET. Although the MOSFET is named in part for its "metal" gate, in modern devices polysilicon is typically used instead.

Other types

See also: Electronic component § Semiconductors
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

Two-terminal devices:

Three-terminal devices:

Four-terminal devices:

Materials

Main article: Semiconductor materials

By far, silicon (Si) is the most widely used material in semiconductor devices. Its combination of low raw material cost, relatively simple processing, and a useful temperature range makes it currently the best compromise among the various competing materials. Silicon used in semiconductor device manufacturing is currently fabricated into boules that are large enough in diameter to allow the production of 300 mm (12 in.) wafers.

Germanium (Ge) was a widely used early semiconductor material but its thermal sensitivity makes it less useful than silicon. Today, germanium is often alloyed with silicon for use in very-high-speed SiGe devices; IBM is a major producer of such devices.

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is also widely used in high-speed devices but so far, it has been difficult to form large-diameter boules of this material, limiting the wafer diameter to sizes significantly smaller than silicon wafers thus making mass production of GaAs devices significantly more expensive than silicon.

Gallium Nitride (GaN) is gaining popularity in high-power applications including power ICs, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and RF components due to its high strength and thermal conductivity. Compared to silicon, GaN's band gap is more than 3 times wider at 3.4 eV and it conducts electrons 1,000 times more efficiently.

Other less common materials are also in use or under investigation.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is also gaining popularity in power ICs and has found some application as the raw material for blue LEDs and is being investigated for use in semiconductor devices that could withstand very high operating temperatures and environments with the presence of significant levels of ionizing radiation. IMPATT diodes have also been fabricated from SiC.

Various indium compounds (indium arsenide, indium antimonide, and indium phosphide) are also being used in LEDs and solid-state laser diodes. Selenium sulfide is being studied in the manufacture of photovoltaic solar cells.

The most common use for organic semiconductors is organic light-emitting diodes.

Applications

All transistor types can be used as the building blocks of logic gates, which are fundamental in the design of digital circuits. In digital circuits like microprocessors, transistors act as on-off switches; in the MOSFET, for instance, the voltage applied to the gate determines whether the switch is on or off.

Transistors used for analog circuits do not act as on-off switches; rather, they respond to a continuous range of inputs with a continuous range of outputs. Common analog circuits include amplifiers and oscillators.

Circuits that interface or translate between digital circuits and analog circuits are known as mixed-signal circuits.

Power semiconductor devices are discrete devices or integrated circuits intended for high current or high voltage applications. Power integrated circuits combine IC technology with power semiconductor technology, these are sometimes referred to as "smart" power devices. Several companies specialize in manufacturing power semiconductors.

Component identifiers

The part numbers of semiconductor devices are often manufacturer specific. Nevertheless, there have been attempts at creating standards for type codes, and a subset of devices follow those. For discrete devices, for example, there are three standards: JEDEC JESD370B in the United States, Pro Electron in Europe, and Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS).

Fabrication

This section is an excerpt from Semiconductor device fabrication.
NASA's Glenn Research Center clean room

Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to manufacture semiconductor devices, typically integrated circuits (ICs) such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, and memories (such as RAM and flash memory). It is a multiple-step photolithographic and physico-chemical process (with steps such as thermal oxidation, thin-film deposition, ion-implantation, etching) during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer, typically made of pure single-crystal semiconducting material. Silicon is almost always used, but various compound semiconductors are used for specialized applications.

The fabrication process is performed in highly specialized semiconductor fabrication plants, also called foundries or "fabs", with the central part being the "clean room". In more advanced semiconductor devices, such as modern 14/10/7 nm nodes, fabrication can take up to 15 weeks, with 11–13 weeks being the industry average. Production in advanced fabrication facilities is completely automated, with automated material handling systems taking care of the transport of wafers from machine to machine.

A wafer often has several integrated circuits which are called dies as they are pieces diced from a single wafer. Individual dies are separated from a finished wafer in a process called die singulation, also called wafer dicing. The dies can then undergo further assembly and packaging.

Within fabrication plants, the wafers are transported inside special sealed plastic boxes called FOUPs. FOUPs in many fabs contain an internal nitrogen atmosphere which helps prevent copper from oxidizing on the wafers. Copper is used in modern semiconductors for wiring. The insides of the processing equipment and FOUPs is kept cleaner than the surrounding air in the cleanroom. This internal atmosphere is known as a mini-environment and helps improve yield which is the amount of working devices on a wafer. This mini environment is within an EFEM (equipment front end module) which allows a machine to receive FOUPs, and introduces wafers from the FOUPs into the machine. Additionally many machines also handle wafers in clean nitrogen or vacuum environments to reduce contamination and improve process control. Fabrication plants need large amounts of liquid nitrogen to maintain the atmosphere inside production machinery and FOUPs, which are constantly purged with nitrogen. There can also be an air curtain or a mesh between the FOUP and the EFEM which helps reduce the amount of humidity that enters the FOUP and improves yield.

Companies that manufacture machines used in the industrial semiconductor fabrication process include ASML, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron and Lam Research.

History of development

Further information: History of electrical engineering
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Cat's-whisker detector

Main article: Cat's-whisker detector

Semiconductors had been used in the electronics field for some time before the invention of the transistor. Around the turn of the 20th century they were quite common as detectors in radios, used in a device called a "cat's whisker" developed by Jagadish Chandra Bose and others. These detectors were somewhat troublesome, however, requiring the operator to move a small tungsten filament (the whisker) around the surface of a galena (lead sulfide) or carborundum (silicon carbide) crystal until it suddenly started working. Then, over a period of a few hours or days, the cat's whisker would slowly stop working and the process would have to be repeated. At the time their operation was completely mysterious. After the introduction of the more reliable and amplified vacuum tube based radios, the cat's whisker systems quickly disappeared. The "cat's whisker" is a primitive example of a special type of diode still popular today, called a Schottky diode.

Metal rectifier

Main article: Metal rectifier

Another early type of semiconductor device is the metal rectifier in which the semiconductor is copper oxide or selenium. Westinghouse Electric (1886) was a major manufacturer of these rectifiers.

World War II

During World War II, radar research quickly pushed radar receivers to operate at ever higher frequencies about 4000 MHz and the traditional tube-based radio receivers no longer worked well. The introduction of the cavity magnetron from Britain to the United States in 1940 during the Tizard Mission resulted in a pressing need for a practical high-frequency amplifier.

On a whim, Russell Ohl of Bell Laboratories decided to try a cat's whisker. By this point, they had not been in use for a number of years, and no one at the labs had one. After hunting one down at a used radio store in Manhattan, he found that it worked much better than tube-based systems.

Ohl investigated why the cat's whisker functioned so well. He spent most of 1939 trying to grow more pure versions of the crystals. He soon found that with higher-quality crystals their finicky behavior went away, but so did their ability to operate as a radio detector. One day he found one of his purest crystals nevertheless worked well, and it had a clearly visible crack near the middle. However, as he moved about the room trying to test it, the detector would mysteriously work, and then stop again. After some study he found that the behavior was controlled by the light in the room – more light caused more conductance in the crystal. He invited several other people to see this crystal, and Walter Brattain immediately realized there was some sort of junction at the crack.

Further research cleared up the remaining mystery. The crystal had cracked because either side contained very slightly different amounts of the impurities Ohl could not remove – about 0.2%. One side of the crystal had impurities that added extra electrons (the carriers of electric current) and made it a "conductor". The other had impurities that wanted to bind to these electrons, making it (what he called) an "insulator". Because the two parts of the crystal were in contact with each other, the electrons could be pushed out of the conductive side which had extra electrons (soon to be known as the emitter), and replaced by new ones being provided (from a battery, for instance) where they would flow into the insulating portion and be collected by the whisker filament (named the collector). However, when the voltage was reversed the electrons being pushed into the collector would quickly fill up the "holes" (the electron-needy impurities), and conduction would stop almost instantly. This junction of the two crystals (or parts of one crystal) created a solid-state diode, and the concept soon became known as semiconduction. The mechanism of action when the diode off has to do with the separation of charge carriers around the junction. This is called a "depletion region".

Development of the diode

Armed with the knowledge of how these new diodes worked, a vigorous effort began to learn how to build them on demand. Teams at Purdue University, Bell Labs, MIT, and the University of Chicago all joined forces to build better crystals. Within a year germanium production had been perfected to the point where military-grade diodes were being used in most radar sets.

Development of the transistor

Main article: History of the transistor

After the war, William Shockley decided to attempt the building of a triode-like semiconductor device. He secured funding and lab space, and went to work on the problem with Brattain and John Bardeen.

The key to the development of the transistor was the further understanding of the process of the electron mobility in a semiconductor. It was realized that if there were some way to control the flow of the electrons from the emitter to the collector of this newly discovered diode, an amplifier could be built. For instance, if contacts are placed on both sides of a single type of crystal, current will not flow between them through the crystal. However, if a third contact could then "inject" electrons or holes into the material, the current would flow.

Actually doing this appeared to be very difficult. If the crystal were of any reasonable size, the number of electrons (or holes) required to be injected would have to be very large, making it less than useful as an amplifier because it would require a large injection current to start with. That said, the whole idea of the crystal diode was that the crystal itself could provide the electrons over a very small distance, the depletion region. The key appeared to be to place the input and output contacts very close together on the surface of the crystal on either side of this region.

Brattain started working on building such a device, and tantalizing hints of amplification continued to appear as the team worked on the problem. Sometimes the system would work but then stop working unexpectedly. In one instance a non-working system started working when placed in water. Ohl and Brattain eventually developed a new branch of quantum mechanics, which became known as surface physics, to account for the behavior. The electrons in any one piece of the crystal would migrate about due to nearby charges. Electrons in the emitters, or the "holes" in the collectors, would cluster at the surface of the crystal where they could find their opposite charge "floating around" in the air (or water). Yet they could be pushed away from the surface with the application of a small amount of charge from any other location on the crystal. Instead of needing a large supply of injected electrons, a very small number in the right place on the crystal would accomplish the same thing.

Their understanding solved the problem of needing a very small control area to some degree. Instead of needing two separate semiconductors connected by a common, but tiny, region, a single larger surface would serve. The electron-emitting and collecting leads would both be placed very close together on the top, with the control lead placed on the base of the crystal. When current flowed through this "base" lead, the electrons or holes would be pushed out, across the block of the semiconductor, and collect on the far surface. As long as the emitter and collector were very close together, this should allow enough electrons or holes between them to allow conduction to start.

First transistor

A stylized replica of the first transistor

The Bell team made many attempts to build such a system with various tools but generally failed. Setups, where the contacts were close enough, were invariably as fragile as the original cat's whisker detectors had been, and would work briefly, if at all. Eventually, they had a practical breakthrough. A piece of gold foil was glued to the edge of a plastic wedge, and then the foil was sliced with a razor at the tip of the triangle. The result was two very closely spaced contacts of gold. When the wedge was pushed down onto the surface of a crystal and voltage was applied to the other side (on the base of the crystal), current started to flow from one contact to the other as the base voltage pushed the electrons away from the base towards the other side near the contacts. The point-contact transistor had been invented.

While the device was constructed a week earlier, Brattain's notes describe the first demonstration to higher-ups at Bell Labs on the afternoon of 23 December 1947, often given as the birthdate of the transistor. What is now known as the "p–n–p point-contact germanium transistor" operated as a speech amplifier with a power gain of 18 in that trial. John Bardeen, Walter Houser Brattain, and William Bradford Shockley were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in physics for their work.

Etymology of "transistor"

Bell Telephone Laboratories needed a generic name for their new invention: "Semiconductor Triode", "Solid Triode", "Surface States Triode" [sic], "Crystal Triode" and "Iotatron" were all considered, but "transistor", coined by John R. Pierce, won an internal ballot. The rationale for the name is described in the following extract from the company's Technical Memoranda (May 28, 1948) calling for votes:

Transistor. This is an abbreviated combination of the words "transconductance" or "transfer", and "varistor". The device logically belongs in the varistor family, and has the transconductance or transfer impedance of a device having gain, so that this combination is descriptive.

Improvements in transistor design

Shockley was upset about the device being credited to Brattain and Bardeen, who he felt had built it "behind his back" to take the glory. Matters became worse when Bell Labs lawyers found that some of Shockley's own writings on the transistor were close enough to those of an earlier 1925 patent by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld that they thought it best that his name be left off the patent application.

Shockley was incensed, and decided to demonstrate who was the real brains of the operation. A few months later he invented an entirely new, considerably more robust, bipolar junction transistor type of transistor with a layer or 'sandwich' structure, used for the vast majority of all transistors into the 1960s.

With the fragility problems solved, the remaining problem was purity. Making germanium of the required purity was proving to be a serious problem and limited the yield of transistors that actually worked from a given batch of material. Germanium's sensitivity to temperature also limited its usefulness. Scientists theorized that silicon would be easier to fabricate, but few investigated this possibility. Former Bell Labs scientist Gordon K. Teal was the first to develop a working silicon transistor at the nascent Texas Instruments, giving it a technological edge. From the late 1950s, most transistors were silicon-based. Within a few years transistor-based products, most notably easily portable radios, were appearing on the market. "Zone melting", a technique using a band of molten material moving through the crystal, further increased crystal purity.

Metal-oxide semiconductor

Main article: MOSFET See also: Semiconductor device fabrication

In 1955, Carl Frosch and Lincoln Derick accidentally grew a layer of silicon dioxide over the silicon wafer, for which they observed surface passivation effects. By 1957 Frosch and Derick, using masking and predeposition, were able to manufacture silicon dioxide field effect transistors; the first planar transistors, in which drain and source were adjacent at the same surface. They showed that silicon dioxide insulated, protected silicon wafers and prevented dopants from diffusing into the wafer. At Bell Labs, the importance of Frosch and Derick technique and transistors was immediately realized. Results of their work circulated around Bell Labs in the form of BTL memos before being published in 1957. At Shockley Semiconductor, Shockley had circulated the preprint of their article in December 1956 to all his senior staff, including Jean Hoerni, who would later invent the planar process in 1959 while at Fairchild Semiconductor.

1957, Diagram of one of the SiO2 transistor devices made by Frosch and Derick

After this, J.R. Ligenza and W.G. Spitzer studied the mechanism of thermally grown oxides, fabricated a high quality Si/SiO2 stack and published their results in 1960. Following this research, Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng proposed a silicon MOS transistor in 1959 and successfully demonstrated a working MOS device with their Bell Labs team in 1960. Their team included E. E. LaBate and E. I. Povilonis who fabricated the device; M. O. Thurston, L. A. D’Asaro, and J. R. Ligenza who developed the diffusion processes, and H. K. Gummel and R. Lindner who characterized the device.

With its scalability, and much lower power consumption and higher density than bipolar junction transistors, the MOSFET became the most common type of transistor in computers, electronics, and communications technology such as smartphones. The US Patent and Trademark Office calls the MOSFET a "groundbreaking invention that transformed life and culture around the world".

Bardeen's 1948 inversion layer concept, forms the basis of CMOS technology today. CMOS (complementary MOS) was invented by Chih-Tang Sah and Frank Wanlass at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1963. The first report of a floating-gate MOSFET was made by Dawon Kahng and Simon Sze in 1967. FinFET (fin field-effect transistor), a type of 3D multi-gate MOSFET, was proposed by H. R. Farrah (Bendix Corporation) and R. F. Steinberg in 1967 and first built by Digh Hisamoto and his team of researchers at Hitachi Central Research Laboratory in 1989.

See also

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