Meaning & use
semiconductor
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A solid material, such as silicon, that conducts electricity poorly at low temperatures but better when energy or impurities are added.
Grammar: Countable: a semiconductor, semiconductors. Often used before another noun: semiconductor device.
Patterns
- a semiconductor material
- semiconductor industry
- made of semiconductors
Silicon is the most common semiconductor used in computer chips.
The company makes semiconductors for mobile phones.
A semiconductor can be doped to change its electrical properties.
nouncountabletechnical
A device, such as a transistor or diode, made from such a material.
Grammar: Countable; often in the plural: semiconductors. Common in electronics and business contexts.
Patterns
- produce semiconductors
- semiconductor manufacturing
- a semiconductor company
The factory produces millions of semiconductors each year.
Investors are watching the semiconductor sector closely.
He works as an engineer designing semiconductors.
Word forms
| plural | semiconductors |
|---|
Common combinations
- semiconductor chip
- The new semiconductor chip is faster and uses less power.
- semiconductor industry
- The semiconductor industry is vital to the economy.
- semiconductor device
- A diode is a simple semiconductor device.
- doped semiconductor
- A doped semiconductor conducts electricity much better.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chip
- Chip often refers to a finished electronic component, while semiconductor can mean the raw material or the device.
- conductor
- A conductor lets electricity flow easily, but a semiconductor only does so under certain conditions.
Opposites
Word family
- semiconducting adjective
- Having the properties of a semiconductor.
- semiconductive adjective
- Relating to or showing slight electrical conductivity.
Commonly confused: semiconductor or superconductor?
semiconductor vs superconductor
A superconductor has zero electrical resistance at very low temperatures, while a semiconductor has controllable resistance.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'semiconductor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Silicon is a semiconductor used in computer chips' is correct because silicon is a material with electrical conductivity between a conductor and an insulator. Zero resistance describes a superconductor, and the other options are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semiconductor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.