Electronics use silicon because it is cheap, abundant, and easy to work with. However, this is not the only reason why electronics industries use silicon. Electronics industries also do so because of the many properties that make it a perfect material for electronics. These properties are what make silicon such an ideal electronic material. This article talks about the extensive usage of silicon in electronics and its properties that make it such a great electronic material. Read on to know more.
Why Is Silicon Used Extensively In Electronics?
Silicon is a Metal that has been used extensively in Electronics because of its unique properties. Silicon has a high resistance to oxidation, making it ideal for electronic parts and circuits. Silicon is also very strong and heat resistant, making it perfect for use in microchips, transistors, and other electronic components.
What Is The Main Reason Silicon Is Used In Electronics?
- Silicon is cheap
- Silicon is abundant
- Silicon is easy to work with
- Silicon has excellent properties that make it a good material for electronics
- Silicon has a high resistance to oxidation, making it ideal for electronic parts and circuits.
- Silicon is also very strong and heat resistant, making it perfect for use in microchips, transistors, and other electronic components.
- It can be used in different forms such as single crystals, polycrystalline silicon (used extensively in solar cells), amorphous silicon (used in the thin-film solar cells), and silicon dioxide (SiO2) which is found in sand and can be used as a semiconductor material when doped with impurities such as boron or phosphorus or arsenic, etc.
What Are The Properties Of Silicon Used In Electronics?
-
Silicon is a Metal:
Silicon is a metal that has been used extensively in electronics because of its properties. Silicon metal is widely used for making electronic devices such as microchips, transistors, and other components.
-
It is a Good Conductor:
Silicon conducts electricity very well and this property makes it ideal for use in electronics industries.
-
It is Non-Magnetic:
Another property of silicon used in electronics industries is that it does not react to magnetic fields. This property makes silicon useful for electronic parts such as microchips and sensors that need to be unaffected by magnetic fields.
-
It can be melted:
Silicon can be melted at high temperatures, making it easy to work with when creating electronic parts and circuits.
-
It has High Thermal Conductivity:
Silicon also has a high thermal conductivity which means it absorbs heat well and transfers heat quickly which makes it ideal for use in electronics industries where devices are exposed to high temperatures all the time.
-
It is a Semiconductor:
Silicon is also a semiconductor which means it can conduct electricity only under certain conditions and not at all in others. Silicon used in electronics industries is doped to produce semiconducting properties.
-
It has a High Density:
Silicon has a high density of about 2.4 which means it weighs more than most other elements and this also makes it useful for electronic parts and devices because silicon has a high strength-to-weight ratio.
-
It can be Mixed With Other Elements:
Silicon can be mixed with other elements to produce different properties of silicon that are more suited for specific uses such as silicon carbide, silicates, and polymers that are all used in different industries.
-
It can be used as an Insulator:
When silicon is exposed to oxygen at very high temperatures, it becomes an insulator which means it cannot conduct electricity but this property makes it suitable for use as an insulator in electronics industries where wires need to be insulated from each other or from their surroundings.
What Are The Key Benefits Of Silicon Used In Electronics?
- Silicon is relatively cheap, which means it can be used to make cheap electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers.
- Silicon is a semiconductor which means it can be used to produce transistors and microchips that are the basic components of most electronic devices.
- Silicon can be melted at high temperatures, making it easy to work with when creating electronic parts and circuits.
- Silicon has high thermal conductivity, which means it absorbs heat well and transfers heat quickly, making it ideal for use in electronics industries where devices are exposed to high temperatures all the time.
- Silicon can be mixed with other elements to produce different properties of silicon that are more suited for specific uses such as silicon carbide, silicates, and polymers that are all used in different industries.
- Silicon is a semiconductor which means it can be used to produce transistors and microchips that are the basic components of most electronic devices.
- Silicon has high density, which means it weighs more than most other elements and this also makes it useful for electronic parts and devices because silicon has a high strength to weight ratio.
- Silicon reacts easily with oxygen in the air, forming compounds that are non-conductive, making silicon unsuitable for use in electronics industries.
- Silicon can be mixed with other elements to produce different properties of silicon that are more suited for specific uses such as silicon carbide, silicates, and polymers that are all used in different industries.
- It can be used as an Insulator: When silicon is exposed to oxygen at very high temperatures, it becomes an insulator which means it cannot conduct electricity but this property makes it suitable for use as an insulator in electronics industries where wires need to be insulated from each other or from their surroundings.
What Are The Limitations Of Silicon Used In Electronics?
- Silicon is not a good conductor of heat because it has a low thermal conductivity which means it cannot carry heat well.
- Silicon is not very flexible, which means it cannot be used to make wires or cables that can bend easily because silicon breaks easily.
- Silicon has a high melting temperature which means it cannot be used in electronics industries where devices are exposed to high temperatures all the time like in space exploration and military industries.
- Silicon reacts with water and oxygen, forming compounds that are non-conductive making silicon unsuitable for use in electronics industries where silicon needs to be exposed to air and water often because these conditions are necessary for the proper functioning of some electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, etc.
- Silicon is brittle which means it breaks easily making it unsuitable for use in electronics industries where devices need to be able to withstand high temperatures, harsh conditions, and constant vibrations without breaking down.
- Silicon is not very stable because it is easily oxidized, which means it can lose electrons to form compounds that are non-conductive and this property makes silicon unsuitable for use in electronics industries where devices need to be able to retain their characteristics over a long period of time.
- Silicon has high density, which means it weighs more than most other elements and this also makes it useful for electronic parts and devices because silicon has a high strength to weight ratio.
- Silicon reacts easily with oxygen in the air, forming compounds that are non-conductive, making silicon unsuitable for use in electronics industries.
- Silicon can be mixed with other elements to produce different properties of silicon that are more suited for specific uses such as silicon carbide, silicates, and polymers that are all used in different industries.
- It can be used as an Insulator: When silicon is exposed to oxygen at very high temperatures, it becomes an insulator which means it cannot conduct electricity but this property makes it suitable for use as an insulator in electronics industries where wires need to be insulated from each other or from their surroundings.
Conclusion
The extensive use of silicon in electronics is due to the many properties that make it an ideal electronic material. It is strong, durable, versatile, cost-effective, has low heat conductivity, high brittleness, high density, and is highly sensitive to oxygen.
FAQ’s
What is used to make silicon wafers?
Silicon wafers are made of pure silicon, which is a semiconductor material and highly resistant to heat and chemicals.
How is the purity of the silicon determined?
The purity of the silicon is determined by checking its resistivity. The lower the resistivity, the higher the purity of the silicon. The process in which this determination is done involves heating an electrical current through a sample with a known voltage and measuring how many current flows through it at different temperatures to determine how much resistance it has.
