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Semiconductor Room What are semiconductors? Semiconductor manufacture |
An Integrated Circuit (IC) is an electronic circuit comprising a large number of devices such as transistors, resistors, condensers, etc. that possess specific functions. It is created on a chip of silicon semiconductor material that can or cannot conduct electricity depending on the conditions.
One nanometer is one billionth of a meter.The technology that produces the components of specific functions in nanometer dimensions is called nanotechnology in the electronic device industry.
A wafer is a physical unit used for manufacturing semiconductor devices. In general, it is made by slicing a silicon ingot (a cylindrical mass) into disk-shaped pieces of about 0.5mm to 1mm thick. Usually, wafers with a 5-inch (125mm) diameter, 8-inch (200mm) diameter and 12-inch (300mm) diameter are used. There is an effort in the industry to switch to 450mkm wafers.
A condenser is a device that stores a charge in a conductor and is used as an electrical circuit component. It conducts alternating current (high-frequency) but does not conduct direct current (low-frequency) (such as accumulating electricity). In circuit design, it is used together with other components such as resistors and coils to control charging and discharging.
A converter is a device used to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). It also serve as a rectifier. When using a DC electronic device from a household AC power source, AC is converted to DC by a built-in converter (AC-DC converter circuit) or by an external AC adapter.A device that converts DC to AC is called an inverter.
Large-scale integration (LSI) is a type of IC. It is the integration of a large number of devices (transistors). The main memory of a computer is an example of this. System LSI is a super multifunction LSI combined with single function LSIs according to the usage. It is installed inside computers and electronic devices with specific applications, such as audio devices. It makes wiring simple and helps to downsize the devices because it occupies a small area.
CPU, the abbreviation for Central Processing Unit, is an electronic circuit working as the core of a processing device in computers, etc.
The transistor, developed by Bell Laboratories of the USA in 1947, is a semiconductor device possessing an amplification function. It is made from germanium crystal or silicon crystal and is installed in various electronics as an alternative electron device to vacuum cube. When it is formed on a wafer together with resistors and other devices, it becomes an integrated circuit that possesses various functions.
An insulator is a substance that does not easily conduct electricity, in contrast with a conductor that easily conducts electricity. Glass, rubber and plastics are some examples.
In a single crystal, the direction of the crystal axis is the same in every section of the crystal. Single crystal silicon is indispensable for semiconductor manufacturing.
A polycrystal is made up of many minute single crystals. Each of the single crystals has its own crystal axis direction. Ceramics and many metals are polycrystals. Solar batteries are made from polycrystal silicon.
A resistor is an electronic component that has the function to suppress the flow of a current. Its unit is the OHM (Ω). It is mounted on an IC together with transistors and condensers and is used to suppress the current and divide the voltage.
A light-emitting diode is a kind of semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. It is also known as an LED. LEDs have a long life compared with incandescent light bulbs, and emit light using a low voltage of a few volts. Since there are LEDs in three primary colors: red, green and blue, combining them can create various colors of light. LEDs are used in numerous areas such as household light bulbs, electric bulletin boards, traffic signals, large liquid crystal displays, etc.
A semiconductor is a substance possessing an electrical conductivity somewhere between that of a conductor and that of an insulator. Silicon is a representative example of a semiconductor. Its conductivity changes in accordance with the ambient temperature or the amount of impurities in them. The internal resistance falls when the temperature rises. Electronics must therefore be kept away from high temperatures. Sometimes ICs, diodes and transistors are called semiconductors, but they should be called semiconductor devices to be accurate.
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