semiconductor

American  

[sem-ee-kuhn-duhk-ter, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm i kənˈdʌk tər, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

noun

1. a substance, as silicon or germanium, with electrical conductivity intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor: a basic component of various kinds of electronic circuit element semiconductor device used in communications, control, and detection technology and in computers.

2. a semiconductor device.

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semiconductor British  

/ ˌsɛmɪkənˈdʌktə /

noun

1. a substance, such as germanium or silicon, that has an electrical conductivity that increases with temperature and is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator

2. 1. a device, such as a transistor or integrated circuit, that depends on the properties of such a substance

   2. ( as modifier )

      a semiconductor diode

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semiconductor Scientific  

/ sĕm′ē-kən-dŭk′tər /

1. Any of various solid substances, such as silicon or germanium, that conduct electricity more easily than insulators but less easily than conductors. In semiconductors, thermal energy is enough to cause a small number of electrons to escape from the valence bonds between the atoms (the valence band); they orbit instead in the higher-energy conduction band, in which they are relatively free. The resulting gaps in the valence band are called holes. Semiconductors are vital to the design of electronic components and circuitry, including transistors, laser diodes, and memory and computer processing circuits.

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semiconductor Cultural  

1. A material that conducts (see conduction) electricity, but very poorly. Silicon is the most common and familiar semiconductor. Devices made from semiconductors, such as the transistor, are the basis of the modern microelectric industry.

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Other Word Forms

• semiconduction noun

Etymology

Origin of semiconductor

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + conductor

Example Sentences

Over time, these restrictions could hurt Japanese manufacturers, which play a major role in the world’s electronics and semiconductor supply chains but are highly reliant on Chinese rare earths.

From The Wall Street Journal

In this proof of concept, information was encoded into the UV-C laser by the source-transmitter and then successfully decoded by the 2D semiconductor sensor acting as the receiver.

From Science Daily

Investor faith in the potential of China's chip industry to challenge US powerhouse Nvidia last month sent shares in semiconductor companies Moore Threads and MetaX skyrocketing on their market debuts.

From Barron's

The bulk of Samsung’s profits once came from smartphones, but the semiconductor business has now come back as its major cash cow, accounting for more than half of its earnings recently.

From The Wall Street Journal

Analysts see no sign of waning demand for semiconductors, which provide the backbone for AI software.

From Barron's