Impurities and the growth of semiconductors

Abstract

All modern electronics and computers are based on semiconductor devices and they function because we have invested immense quantities of time, money and people trying to understand how a few parts per million of the atoms in a solid can totally change and control the electrical properties. The production challenges need immense precision, not only with the number of dopant impurities, but also in the way they are distributed and patterned into the semiconductor host. The basic concepts are simple, whereas the manufacturing is highly complex. The chapter offers simplistic views of how electrical properties are altered, and why it is essential to control the location of electrically active impurities. It is clear that there are many features which influence semiconductor performance but, conceptually, the underlying science is vastly simpler than the fabrication.