Why is Silicon Used Extensively in Electronics?

If you’ve ever taken a basic electronics course, you know that silicon is one of the most important materials in electronic devices. But why is silicon so crucial? In this blog post, we will discuss the properties of silicon that make it ideal for use in electronics. We will also explore some of the applications of silicon in electronic devices.

What is Silicon?

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It’s solid at room temperature, though it does have a melting point of 1414 degrees Celsius. This makes it useful in semiconductor manufacturing, as we’ll see later on.

In simple terms, silicon is a solid material that’s found in sand. It’s also the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust after oxygen. This makes it pretty cheap to come by.

Silicon has been used extensively in electronics since the 1950s because it offers certain advantages over other materials.

So, now that we know what silicon is, let’s take a look at why it’s used so extensively in electronics.

Advantages of Silicon

Silicon has many advantages as a material for electronic devices.

• One advantage is that it is an abundant element in the Earth’s crust. This means that it is relatively cheap to produce silicon-based devices and components.
• Another advantage of silicon is that it is a very stable element. This means that silicon-based devices do not degrade or become less effective over time like some other types of electronic devices. For example, gold is a very good conductor of electricity, but it is also very expensive and can corrode over time.
• Silicon is also able to withstand high temperatures, making it ideal for use in electronic devices that generate a lot of heat, such as computers. For example, the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer is typically made from silicon.
• Another advantage of using silicon is that it can be used to create very small and precise devices. This is because silicon can be etched very precisely using lithography. For example, silicon is often used to create microprocessors, which are tiny computers that power devices like phones and laptops.
• One final advantage of using silicon in electronic devices is that it can be easily combined with other materials to create new and innovative products. For example, the development of silicon-based solar cells has led to a significant increase in the use of solar power around the world.

There are many other materials that can be used to create electronic devices, but silicon has a number of advantages that make it the material of choice for many applications. In particular, the fact that it is relatively cheap and easy to work with makes it ideal for use in mass-produced products such as mobile phones and computers.

What Silicon Quality is the Most Important for Microchips?

• The most important quality of silicon for microchips is its purity. The higher the purity, the better the performance of the microchip. However, high-purity silicon is also more expensive. For this reason, semiconductor manufacturers try to use as little high-purity silicon as possible while still ensuring that the overall performance of their products is not compromised.
• Another important quality of silicon is its crystalline structure. The more perfect the crystal, the better the performance of the microchip. However, perfect crystals are very difficult to create. For this reason, semiconductor manufacturers often use silicon with a slightly imperfect crystal structure. This type of silicon is known as polysilicon.
• One more important quality of silicon is its dopant concentration. Dopants are atoms that are added to silicon in order to change their electrical properties. The most common dopant is phosphorus. By adding small amounts of phosphorus to silicon, semiconductor manufacturers can create n-type silicon, which is ideal for use in microchips. [1]

Uses of Silicon in Electronics

There are many ways to use silicon in electronics.

• One way is to create semiconductor devices. A semiconductor is a material that can connect and conduct electricity and heat. They are made of materials like carbon, silicon, germanium, and silicon-germanium.

• Silicon is also used to make glass and ceramics. It can be combined with oxygen to make silicon dioxide, which is found in sand and rocks. When it is heated, it can be used to create a variety of glasses and ceramics.
• Silicon can also be used to make alloys. An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals. Silicon is often combined with iron to make steel. It can also be combined with aluminum to make an alloy called aluminum silicate, which is used in the production of car tires and other products.
• In electronics, silicon is also widely used for manufacturing integrated circuits. An integrated circuit is a small device that contains transistors, diodes, and other electronic components. They are found in almost all electronic devices, from computers to cell phones.

FAQ

How is silicon most commonly used?

In the United States, about 90% of silicon production is used in the chemical industry to make silanes, which are used in silicone-based lubricants and adhesives [2].

The rest of the silicon is used in a variety of industries, including the automotive industry (for making tires and hoses) and the construction industry (for making concrete and bricks).

In the electronics industry, silicon is used to make semiconductor devices, such as transistors and integrated circuits.

What are the physical properties of silicon?

Silicon is a hard, brittle substance with a metallic luster. It is a semiconductor, meaning that it can conduct electricity under certain conditions.

It has a melting point of 1414 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of 2355 degrees Celsius. Silicon is found in the Earth’s crust in the form of silicon dioxide (SiO₂).

How does silicon make good transistors?

The most important property of a transistor is its ability to switch between two states, which can be either ON or OFF.

A silicon transistor can achieve this by using an electric field to control the flow of current through the device.

This makes it possible to create very small and fast transistors, which are essential for modern electronic devices.

What are the drawbacks of silicon?

One of the main drawbacks of silicon is that it is a very reactive element. This means that it can easily form compounds with other elements, which can cause problems in electronic devices.

Another drawback of silicon is that it is a relatively poor conductor of electricity. This can be a problem in some applications, such as solar cells.

Finally, silicon is a very abundant element, which means that it is not a rare or precious resource. However, this also means that it is relatively cheap to produce.

How long will silicon be used in electronics?

It is difficult to say how long silicon will be used in electronics. Silicon has been the dominant material for semiconductor devices for many years and it is unlikely that this will change in the near future.

However, new materials are being developed all the time, so it is possible that silicon will eventually be replaced by something else.

For now, silicon is the best material we have for making transistors and other semiconductor devices, so it is likely to remain the standard for many years to come.

Useful Video: Why is Silicon Used for Computer Chips?

Final Thoughts

So, why is silicon used extensively in electronics? Well, there are a few key reasons.

First of all, it’s relatively abundant compared to other materials that can be used for semiconductor manufacturing.

Second, it can be easily purified to create a very pure form of the element – something that’s crucial for semiconductor production.

Third, silicon has a very high melting point, meaning that it can be used in high-temperature environments.

Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, silicon is an extremely versatile material. It can be used to create a wide range of different semiconductor devices, from basic diodes and transistors to more complex integrated circuits.

Finally, silicon has certain properties that make it ideal for use in semiconductor devices. When it comes to electronics, silicon is definitely the element of choice.

Do you have any thoughts on this topic? Let us know in the comments below!

If you’re interested in learning more about semiconductors and electronics, be sure to check out our other blog posts on the topic. We cover everything from the basics of semiconductor physics to the latest news in the world of electronics.

Thanks for reading!

References:

1. https://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=4527
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6237170/