semiconductor

Other forms: semiconductors

Definitions of semiconductor
  1. noun
    a substance as germanium or silicon whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator; its conductivity increases with temperature and in the presence of impurities
    synonyms: semiconducting material
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    types:
    Ge, atomic number 32, germanium
    a brittle grey crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors; occurs in germanite and argyrodite
    Si, atomic number 14, silicon
    a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors
    type of:
    conductor
    a substance that readily conducts e.g. electricity and heat
  2. noun
    a conductor made with semiconducting material
    synonyms: semiconductor device, semiconductor unit
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    types:
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    chip, micro chip, microchip, microprocessor chip, silicon chip
    electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit
    crystal rectifier, diode, junction rectifier, semiconductor diode
    a semiconductor that consists of a p-n junction
    n-type semiconductor
    a semiconductor in which electrical conduction is due chiefly to the movement of electrons
    p-type semiconductor
    a semiconductor in which electrical conduction is due chiefly to the movement of positive holes
    thermal resistor, thermistor
    a semiconductor device made of materials whose resistance varies as a function of temperature; can be used to compensate for temperature variation in other components of a circuit
    electronic transistor, junction transistor, transistor
    a semiconductor device capable of amplification
    biochip
    a microchip that uses tiny strands of DNA to latch onto and quickly recognize thousands of genes at a time; intended for use in a biological environment
    FET, field-effect transistor
    a transistor in which most current flows in a channel whose effective resistance can be controlled by a transverse electric field
    DNA chip, gene chip
    a microchip that holds DNA probes that form half of the DNA double helix and can recognize DNA from samples being tested
    LED, light-emitting diode
    diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
    memory chip
    a RAM microchip that can be plugged into a computer to provide additional memory
    microprocessor
    a tiny electronic device in a computer, containing integrated circuits and serving to carry out the computer's logical and arithmetic functions; a semiconductor chip
    p-n-p transistor
    a junction transistor having an n-type semiconductor between a p-type semiconductor that serves as an emitter and a p-type semiconductor that serves as a collector
    type of:
    conductor
    a device designed to transmit electricity, heat, etc.
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