[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-665320-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-665320-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","semiconductor-overview-silicon-semiconductor-device-physics","Semiconductor Overview - Silicon Semiconductor Device Physics","","Overview of silicon semiconductor device physics, focusing on silicon as the primary material used in VLSI systems. Explains nucleus and valence structure, electron population of energy bands, and the distinction between allowed and disallowed energy states, including the bandgap between conduction and valence bands. Describes intrinsic semiconductor behavior and temperature-driven carrier generation and recombination, then connects these carrier processes to electrical conduction. Introduces doping as impurity addition to increase carriers.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/technology/","Technology",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/semiconductor-overview-silicon-semiconductor-device-physics/665320/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/semiconductor-overview-silicon-semiconductor-device-physics/665320.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Grenda","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-29",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"Why is silicon the primary semiconductor used in VLSI systems?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Silicon is the primary semiconductor material in VLSI systems as described in the document overview. Its electronic structure and energy-band behavior support device operation.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What are allowed and disallowed energy states in silicon?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Electrons tend to occupy the lowest energy band possible, but not every energy level is a legal state. These legal states cluster into bands, while others are disallowed.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"How do intrinsic silicon conduction and carrier generation work for temperatures above 0K?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"For T > 0K, thermal energy can shake an electron free, allowing current flow. The document describes generation of an electron–hole pair and recombination when an electron and hole meet, and it defines electrons and holes as carriers.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},665320,1793298191,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,104,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":101,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":107,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":79,"read_time":143},7971474921005,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Overview of Silicon Semiconductor  \nDevice Physics  \nDr. David W. Graham  \nWest Virginia University  \nLane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering  \n© 2009 David W. Graham  \n1  \nSilicon  \nSilicon is the primary semiconductor used in VLSI systems  \nNucleus  \nValence  \nBand  \nEnergy Bands  \n(Shells)  \nSi has 14 Electrons  \nSilicon has 4 outer shell / valence electrons  \nAt T=0K, the highest energy band occupied by an electron is called the valence band.  \nEnergy Bands  \nIncreasing Electron Energy  \nEnergy Bands  \nDisallowed Energy States  \nAllowed Energy States  \n• Electrons try to occupy the lowest energy band possible  \n• Not every energy level is a legal state for an electron to occupy  \n• These legal states tend to arrange themselves in bands  \nEnergy Bands  \nEC  \nEV  \nEg  \nEnergy Bandgap  \nConduction Band  \nFirst unfilled energy band at T=0K  \nValence Band  \nLast filled energy band at T=0K  \nBand Diagrams  \nEC ~~ ~~  \nE  \ng  \nEV ~~ ~~  \nBand Diagram Representation  \nEnergy plotted as a function of position  \nIncreasing electron energy  \nIncreasing voltage  \nEC Æ Conduction band  \nÆ Lowest energy state for a free electron  \nEV Æ Valence band  \nÆ Highest energy state for filled outer shells  \nEG Æ Band gap  \nÆ Difference in energy levels between EC and EV  \nÆ No electrons (e-) in the bandgap (only above EC or below EV )  \nÆ EG = 1.12eV in Silicon  \nIntrinsic Semiconductor  \nSilicon has 4 outer shell / valence electrons  \nForms into a lattice structure to share electrons  \nIntrinsic Silicon  \nThe valence band is full, and no electrons are free to move about  \nEC  \nEV  \nHowever, at temperatures above T=0K, thermal energy shakes an electron free  \nSemiconductor Properties  \nFor T > 0K Electron shaken free and can  \ncause current to flow  \n• Generation – Creation of an electron (e-) and hole (h+ ) pair  \n• h+ is simply a missing electron, which leaves an excess positive charge (due to an extra proton)  \n• Recombination – if an e- and an h+ come in contact, they annihilate each other  \n• Electrons and holes are called “carriers”because they are charged particles – when they move, they carry current  \n• Therefore, semiconductors can conduct electricity for T > 0K   but not much current (at room temperature (300K), pure silicon has only 1 free electron per 3 trillion atoms)  \nDoping  \n•  Doping – Adding impurities to the silicon crystal lattice to increase the number of carriers  \n• Add a small number of atoms to increase either the number of electrons or holes  \nPeriodic Table  \nColumn 3  \nElements have 3  \nelectrons in the Valence Shell  \nColumn 4  \nElements have 4  \nelectrons in the Valence Shell  \nColumn 5  \nElements have 5  \nelectrons in the Valence Shell","cbCais7yIGkLgpum","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCais7yIGkLgpum","pdf",667782,"English","# Silicon\n## Energy bands and band diagram\n## Intrinsic semiconductor and carrier generation\n## Semiconductor properties and doping","[{\"question\":\"Why is silicon the primary semiconductor used in VLSI systems?\",\"answer\":\"Silicon is the primary semiconductor material in VLSI systems as described in the document overview. Its electronic structure and energy-band behavior support device operation.\"},{\"question\":\"What are allowed and disallowed energy states in silicon?\",\"answer\":\"Electrons tend to occupy the lowest energy band possible, but not every energy level is a legal state. These legal states cluster into bands, while others are disallowed.\"},{\"question\":\"How do intrinsic silicon conduction and carrier generation work for temperatures above 0K?\",\"answer\":\"For T \\u003e 0K, thermal energy can shake an electron free, allowing current flow. The document describes generation of an electron–hole pair and recombination when an electron and hole meet, and it defines electrons and holes as carriers.\"}]","Semiconductor Overview - Silicon Semiconductor Device Physics | PDF",101]