List of Semiconductor Materials and Properties

Materials and their Properties Used in Semiconductors

Most semiconductor material originates from the United States, in Silicon Valley, California. Different materials and their properties are used in creating semiconductors. There are two primary types of materials used in creating semiconductors, intrinsic and extrinsic material. Intrinsic material is chemically very pure, possesses low conductivity, and has a fewer number of charge carriers. Extrinsic material has a small amount of purity, uses doping to create an excess or a shortage of electrons. N-type semiconductors have an excess of electrons. P-type have a shortage of electrons.  Many elements are crystalline inorganic solids and have different positions on the periodic table.

 

semiconductor-lists

 

Material Symbol/ Formula Group Properties
Cadmium Sulphide

 

 

CdS

 

II-VI

 

Used in solar cells

Used in photo resistors

Gallium Arsenide

 

 

GaAs

 

III-V

Second widely used

Used in high performance RF devices

 

Gallium Nitride

 

 

GaN

 

III-V

Used in Microwave ICs

Used in microwave transistors

Insensitive to ion radiation

Gallium Phosphide

 

 

GaP

 

III-V

Used in LED technology

Early forms low –medium brightness

Colors vary by dopats

 

Germanium

 

 

Ge

 

IV

 

Used in early devices

Used for some RF devices

Offers  a better charge carrier mobility

Not widely used

Lead Sulphide

 

 

PbS

 

IV-VI

 

Used in early radio detectors

 

Silicon

 

 

S

 

IV

 

Most widely used

Used for integrated circuits

Easy to fabricate

Good electrical and mechanical properties

 

Silicon Carbide

 

 

SiC

 

IV

 

Used in power devices

Operating temperatures are higher

Breakdown capability is greater that silicon

Used in early forms of yellow and blue LEDS