Wafer with processor core made from a silicon semiconductor. (Source: © Scanrail / stock.adobe.com)

A solid crystalline material whose conductivity lies between the conductor and the insulator. The resistance of a semiconductor decreases with increasing temperature. Typical semiconductors are silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide. The properties of a semiconductor can be changed by so-called doping, the introduction of atoms of another element into the crystal lattice of the semiconductor. By joining two differently doped semiconductors, a semiconductor junction (e.g. p-n junction) is formed. The properties of semiconductors offer a wide range of applications in the manufacturing of electronics, solar cells or detectors.