Related topics: solar cells , transistors , nanowires
Silicon
hideSilicon (pronounced /ˈsɪlɨkən/ or /ˈsɪlɨkɒn/, Latin: silicium) is the most common metalloid. It is a chemical element, which has the symbol Si and atomic number 14. The atomic mass is 28.0855. A tetravalent metalloid, silicon is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon. As the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, silicon very rarely occurs as the pure free element in nature, but is more widely distributed in dusts, planetoids and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. On Earth, silicon is the second most abundant element (after oxygen) in the crust, making up 25.7% of the crust by mass.
Silicon has many industrial uses. It is the principal component of most semiconductor devices, most importantly integrated circuits or microchips. Silicon is widely used in semiconductors because it remains a semiconductor at higher temperatures than the semiconductor germanium and because its native oxide is easily grown in a furnace and forms a better semiconductor/dielectric interface than any other material.
In the form of silica and silicates, silicon forms useful glasses, cements, and ceramics. It is also a constituent of silicones, a class-name for various synthetic plastic substances made of silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, often confused with silicon itself.
Silicon is an essential element in biology, although only tiny traces of it appear to be required by animals. It is much more important to the metabolism of plants, particularly many grasses, and silicic acid (a type of silica) forms the basis of the striking array of protective shells of the microscopic diatoms.
For more information about Silicon, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with silicon
Scientists create world's first molecular transistor
Dec 23, 2009 |
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A group of scientists has succeeded in creating the first transistor made from a single molecule. The team, which includes researchers from Yale University and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology ...
Glitter-sized solar photovoltaics produce competitive results
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used.
Innovation puts next-generation solar cells on the horizon
Dec 01, 2009 |
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In a world first, a Monash University-led international research team has developed an innovative way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells.
Organic flash memory developed
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a non-volatile memory that has the same basic structure as a flash memory but is made from cheap, flexible, organic materials.
Scientists improve chip memory by stacking cells
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Arizona State University have developed an elegant method for significantly improving the memory capacity of electronic chips.
Wizard at circuits, physics
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Donhee Ham, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, uses his personal energy and understanding of physics to design innovative integrated circuits.
Light-generating transistors to power labs on chips
Dec 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- What started out as 'blue-sky' thinking by a group of European researchers could ultimately lead to the commercial mass production of a new generation of optoelectronic components for devices ...
Life after silicon: Using exotic materials to help microchips keep improving
Dec 08, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The huge increases in the power and capacity of computers, cell phones and communications networks in the last 40 years have been the result of ever-shrinking silicon transistors. But silicon ...
Microscopic gyroscopes, the key for motion sensing
Dec 09, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Tiny devices made possible by combining the latest advances in mechanical and electronics technology could be at the heart of next-generation personal navigation and vehicle stabilisation ...
New silicon-germanium nanowires could lead to smaller, more powerful electronic devices
Dec 09, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Microchip manufacturers have long faced challenges miniaturizing transistors, the key active components in nearly every modern electronic device, which are used to amplify or switch electronic signals.
Toshiba Develops High Performance CMOS Device Technology for 20nm Generation LSI
Dec 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has developed a breakthrough technology for steep channel impurity distribution that delivers a solution to a key problem for 20nm generation CMOS ...
Silicon technology offers extended X-ray vision of high-energy cosmos
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- As elements of the integrated circuits running our computers, phones and electronics, silicon wafers are everywhere. An ESA-led effort is establishing an out-of-this-world use for these ...
Google phone revolution or misdirection?
Dec 19, 2009 |
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Google smartphones are either a daring foray into the telecom world or a misunderstood test of the next-generation of the Internet giant's Android mobile operating system.
Tech blog, Singapore startup feud over tablet PC
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 11, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (4) |
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(AP) -- About 18 months ago, a technology blogger got fed up with the industry and forged an alliance with a startup to make his dream computer. It almost worked.
Researchers develop revolutionary technology for manufacturing micro-scale devices
Dec 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Cranfield University has developed new technology that could significantly reduce the manufacturing costs of complex devices such as electronic noses that sniff out explosives and dangerous chemicals and ...
