I study engineering and when learning about all types of electronics, I always hear about silicon being used. What’s so special about it?
Additionally, I just read about a new particle accelerator which is the size of a penny, which also uses a silicon channel to accelerate the particle. What’s so special about silicon?
Thanks in advance
In: Physics
All solid materials have crystal structures internally. Depending on the shape of those structures, electrons can move through them at different rates. This is why only a few metals are good conductors and basically everything else has the wrong crystal structures to allow electrons to pass through.
Silicon is a “semi-conductor”, which means it’s relatively easy to make silicon from crystal structures that will either allow electrons to pass really easily or not want to pass through at all. The electrical conductivity of a semi-conductor can also be affected by external factors after it has been manufactured. Silicon is not magnetic, has much lower thermal conductive and much less reactive than many of the natural conductors. It is also extremely common.
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