What is a semiconductor material

Semiconductor materials are a class of electronic materials with semiconductor properties that can be used to make semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Its electrical conductivity is between conductors and insulators.

Substances and materials in nature can be divided into three categories: conductors, semiconductors and insulators according to their electrical conductivity. The resistivity of the semiconductor is in the range of 1 mΩ·cm to 1 GΩ·cm. In general, the conductivity of semiconductors increases with temperature, which is the exact opposite of metallic conductors.

All materials with the above two characteristics can be classified into the scope of semiconductor materials. It is a variety of external factors, such as light, heat, magnetism, electricity, etc., that reflect the intrinsic basic properties of semiconductor materials. The physical effects and phenomena caused by these factors acting on semiconductors can be collectively referred to as the semiconductor properties of semiconductor materials. Most of the matrix materials constituting solid-state electronic devices are semiconductors, and it is the various semiconductor properties of these semiconductor materials that endow various types of semiconductor devices with different functions and properties.