Introducing Silicon Material

Semiconductors are widely used in everyday electrical devices such as personal computers, televisions, smartphones, digital cameras, and IC cards. The most commonly used material in semiconductors is silicon (chemical symbol = Si). Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth after oxygen. Most silicon is found in soil, rocks, natural water, trees, and plants.

In nature, silicon exists as a compound of oxygen, aluminum, and magnesium. Therefore, the element silicon must be extracted from the compound and purified. The silicon used in semiconductors, such as integrated circuits (ICs), requires an ultra-high purity single crystal structure of "99.99999999%" (the so-called "11N"), and is refined through various processes after extraction.

A single crystal structure consists of atoms arranged in an orderly manner in three-dimensional space. The basic unit of this arrangement is called a lattice. A single crystal is a lattice that is arranged in an orderly and continuous manner. The silicon lattice has a diamond cubic crystal structure with eight atoms repeating in a pattern. Each silicon atom is bonded to four adjacent silicon atoms through four bonds. Silicon is a very common element and is used as a raw material for semiconductors due to its stable structure.

The purification of silicon undoubtedly demands a substantial amount of electricity. It is a well-known fact that in Japan, silicon ingots with a purity of at least 98% are imported from countries such as Australia, China, and Brazil, where electricity is notably more affordable.

Physical properties of silicon

Silicon is undeniably a brittle, hard crystalline solid with a distinct bluish-grey metallic luster. Unquestionably, compared to its neighbors on the periodic table, silicon is remarkably inert. The symbol for silicon is Si, and its atomic number is 14. Moreover, it is a well-established fact that silicon has high melting and boiling points and forms extensive covalent structures under standard conditions, akin to other Group 14 elements on the periodic table.

Chemical properties of silicon

It is an undeniable truth that at room temperature, pure silicon acts as an insulator. Equally important is the fact that silicon behaves as a semiconductor at standard temperature and pressure. It is an indisputable fact that silicon is inert in crystalline form at low temperatures, and its electrical conductivity undoubtedly increases with rising temperature. Furthermore, silicon undoubtedly reacts readily with oxygen and air at temperatures above 900 degrees Celsius. It is an undeniable fact that molten silicon becomes highly reactive and must be stored in inactive refractory materials to prevent chemical reactions.

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