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Silicon is a chemical element; it has symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive.
Human history. The Information Age (also known as the Third Industrial Revolution, Computer Age, Digital Age, Silicon Age, New Media Age, Internet Age, or the Digital Revolution[1]) is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial ...
The region is the biggest high-tech manufacturing center in the United States. [74][75] The unemployment rate of the region was 9.4% in January 2009 and has decreased to a record low of 2.7% as of August 2019. [76] Silicon Valley received 41% of all U.S. venture investment in 2011, and 46% in 2012. [77]
History of materials science. Materials science has shaped the development of civilizations since the dawn of humankind. Better materials for tools and weapons has allowed people to spread and conquer, and advancements in material processing like steel and aluminum production continue to impact society today. Historians have regarded materials ...
A semiconductor is a material that is between the conductor and insulator in ability to conduct electical current. [ 1 ] In many cases their conducting properties may be altered in useful ways by introducing impurities (" doping ") into the crystal structure. When two differently doped regions exist in the same crystal, a semiconductor junction ...
Silicon is considered a bioessential element and is one of the most abundant elements on Earth. [2][3] The silica cycle has significant overlap with the carbon cycle (see carbonate–silicate cycle) and plays an important role in the sequestration of carbon through continental weathering, biogenic export and burial as oozes on geologic timescales.
Silicon photonics is the study and application of photonic systems which use silicon as an optical medium. [1][2][3][4][5] The silicon is usually patterned with sub-micrometre precision, into microphotonic components. [4] These operate in the infrared, most commonly at the 1.55 micrometre wavelength used by most fiber optic telecommunication ...
Semiconductor device. A semiconductor device is an electronic component that relies on the electronic properties of a semiconductor material (primarily silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide, as well as organic semiconductors) for its function. Its conductivity lies between conductors and insulators. Semiconductor devices have replaced vacuum ...