Editing Semiconductor device (section)

==Materials==
{{Main|Semiconductor materials}}
By far, [[silicon]] (Si) is the most widely used material in semiconductor devices. Its combination of low raw material cost, relatively simple processing, and a useful temperature range makes it currently the best compromise among the various competing materials. Silicon used in semiconductor device manufacturing is currently fabricated into [[boule (crystal)|boules]] that are large enough in diameter to allow the production of 300&nbsp;mm (12 in.) [[wafer (electronics)|wafers]].

[[Germanium]] (Ge) was a widely used early semiconductor material but its thermal sensitivity makes it less useful than silicon. Today, germanium is often alloyed with silicon for use in very-high-speed SiGe devices; [[IBM]] is a major producer of such devices.

[[Gallium arsenide]] (GaAs) is also widely used in high-speed devices but so far, it has been difficult to form large-diameter boules of this material, limiting the wafer diameter to sizes significantly smaller than silicon wafers thus making mass production of GaAs devices significantly more expensive than silicon.

[[Gallium nitride|Gallium Nitride]] (GaN) is gaining popularity in high-power applications including [[Power management integrated circuit|power ICs]], [[light-emitting diode]]s (LEDs), and [[Radio frequency|RF]] components due to its high strength and thermal conductivity. Compared to silicon, GaN's [[band gap]] is more than 3 times wider at 3.4 [[Electronvolt|eV]] and it conducts electrons 1,000 times more efficiently.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallium nitride semiconductors: The Next Generation of Power {{!}} Navitas |date=19 March 2021 |url=https://navitassemi.com/gallium-nitride-the-next-generation-of-power/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is GaN? Gallium Nitride (GaN) Semiconductors Explained |url=https://epc-co.com/epc/gallium-nitride/what-is-gan |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=Efficient Power Conversion}}</ref>

Other less common materials are also in use or under investigation.

[[Silicon carbide]] (SiC) is also gaining popularity in [[power IC]]s and has found some application as the raw material for blue LEDs and is being investigated for use in semiconductor devices that could withstand very high [[operating temperature]]s and environments with the presence of significant levels of [[ionizing radiation]]. [[IMPATT diode]]s have also been fabricated from SiC.

Various [[indium]] compounds ([[indium arsenide]], [[indium antimonide]], and [[indium phosphide]]) are also being used in LEDs and solid-state [[laser diode]]s. [[Selenium sulfide]] is being studied in the manufacture of [[photovoltaic]] [[solar cell]]s.

The most common use for [[organic semiconductor]]s is [[organic light-emitting diode]]s.