Controllable electrical behaviour
A semiconductor’s energy bands and band gap influence which electrons can contribute to current. Its importance lies not merely in an intermediate resistance value but in electrical behaviour that can be controlled through material preparation and device design.
References: [1]
Electrons, holes and doping
An electron entering the conduction band leaves a vacancy described as a hole. Suitable dopants change carrier populations to create n-type or p-type material. A hole is an effective description of the electronic system, not a free positron moving through the crystal.
References: [1]
Making devices from materials
Combining different regions produces junctions and controllable channels used in rectifiers, transistors and other devices. Their behaviour depends on structure, contacts, surfaces and fabrication quality. Simply knowing that a device contains silicon does not establish its function.
Materials research and manufacturing
Crystal detectors, purification methods, transistors and planar manufacturing developed through successive stages before large-scale integrated circuits. Semiconductor history therefore includes physical explanations, control of materials, device design and production techniques rather than beginning and ending with one chip.