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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• semiconduction noun

Etymology

Origin of semiconductor

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + conductor

Example Sentences

But at the moment investors look to be shunning most companies with AI exposure, from software to semiconductors.

From Barron's

“Both look ambitious to us in the context of continuing currency headwinds, rising semiconductor and other raw material inflation, more restructuring, and the ramp of new models this year.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The 64-year-old leader plans to funnel investment into domestic industries, with an aim to sharpen Japan’s technological edge in products with worldwide demand, such as semiconductors, chipmaking equipment, precision machinery and next-generation batteries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Qualcomm is a specialist in chips for mobile phones, while Arm’s semiconductor designs are ubiquitous in the smartphone market.

From Barron's

“The old refrain was that software would eat the world; today, the concern is that AI may eat software, even as areas such as such as semiconductors trade at record highs,” he added.

From Barron's