Semiconductor Devices - Purpose and Classification

Digital devices play an increasing role in modern electronics. Devices that work on chips, now penetrated virtually all areas of application - household and industrial devices, children's toys, video-radio-tele-equipment and so on. However, there still exist spheres of application of analog discrete elements. Moreover, semiconductor devices are the very essence of modern microcircuits.

How do these devices work? The basis for such devices as semiconductor materials are semiconductors. Due to their electrical characteristics and properties, they occupy a place between dielectrics and conductors. Their distinctive features are the dependence of electrical conductivity on the external temperature, the characteristics of the effect of ionizing and light radiation, as well as the concentration of impurities. Semiconductor devices have about the same set of characteristics.

In the process of creating an electric current in any substance, only mobile charge carriers can participate. The more mobile carriers per unit volume of matter, the greater the electrical conductivity. In metals, virtually all electrons are free, and this causes their high conductivity. In semiconductors and in dielectrics, carriers are much smaller, and therefore the resistivity is greater .

Such electrical elements as semiconductor devices have a pronounced temperature dependence of the resistivity. When the temperature rises, it usually decreases.

Thus, semiconductor devices are such electronic devices, the action of which is based on specific processes in substances called semiconductors. They found the widest application. For example, in electronics and electrical engineering, semiconductor devices serve to convert different signals, their frequency, amplitude and other parameters. In power engineering, such devices are used to convert energy.

Semiconductor devices can be classified in different ways. For example, methods of classification according to the principle of action, by design, by design, by manufacturing technology, by areas and areas of use, by type of materials are known.

However, there are so-called basic classes, which characterize a semiconductor device. These classes include:

- Electroconversion devices that convert one value to another;

- optoelectronic, which convert the light signal into electrical and vice versa;

- solid-state image converters;

- thermoelectric devices that convert thermal energy into electrical energy ;

- magnetoelectric and electromagnetic devices;

- piezoelectric and tensometric.

A separate class of devices such as semiconductor devices can be called integrated circuits, which are usually mixed, that is, they combine many characteristics in one device.

Usually, semiconductor devices are released in ceramic or plastic housings, but there are also open-frame options.