Question

What does semiconductor mean?

Answer 1

Hint: Let's start with a fundamental understanding of semiconductors. Semiconductor devices combine the characteristics of conductors and insulators. These devices have a lower electrical conductivity than conductors at normal temperature.

Complete answer:
A semiconductor material's electrical conductivity is somewhere between that of a conductor, such as metallic copper, and that of an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity decreases as the temperature rises, whereas metals have the reverse effect. By injecting impurities ("doping") into the crystal structure, its conducting qualities can be changed in useful ways. A semiconductor junction is formed when two differentially doped areas in the same crystal occur. Diodes, transistors, and most modern electronics are built on the behaviour of charge carriers such as electrons, ions, and electron holes at these junctions.
Silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and elements near the periodic table's "metalloid staircase" are examples of semiconductors. Gallium arsenide is the second most common semiconductor after silicon, and it's utilised in things like laser diodes, solar cells, and microwave-frequency integrated circuits. Silicon is a critical component in the manufacture of nearly all electrical circuits.

Note:
Semiconductor devices can have a variety of beneficial characteristics, including the ability to transmit current more easily in one way than the other, changeable resistance, and light or heat sensitivity. Devices manufactured from semiconductors can be used for amplification, switching, and energy conversion because the electrical properties of a semiconductor material can be adjusted by doping, or by applying electrical fields or light.