Materials/Semiconductors

Semiconductors

semiconductors

7 materials · 9 types

What this is

Silicon, silicon carbide, gallium nitride and other materials for chips and power electronics.

Radiation can flip bits or slowly wear out a chip. Wide-bandgap materials are being tested for hot and radiation-heavy places.

Grades of one kind compared side by side.

Semiconductor materials: Semiconductor materials (silicon, germanium, silicon-germanium, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, selenium, tellurium, bismuth telluride): band gap, thermal and electrical data with sources.

Pick a type to see its materials.

The measurements we use to compare semiconductors. Each one has a standard test and a direction: is higher or lower better?

What matters
Measurement	Better when	How it is tested
Total ionizing dose toleranceAccumulated dose before a part drifts or fails	higher	MIL-STD-883 TM 1019; ESCC 22900
Single-event LET thresholdHow energetic one particle hit must be to upset it	higher	JESD57; ESCC 25100
Single-event cross-sectionHow likely each hit is to cause an upset	lower	JESD57; ESCC 25100
Displacement damage toleranceDamage from atoms knocked out of place	higher	Proton and neutron tests
Thermal expansion (CTE)How much it grows when heated; mismatch cracks joints	depends on the use	ASTM E831, E228
Thermal conductivityHow well it moves heat	depends on the use	ASTM E1461
BandgapResistance to heat- and radiation-created stray charge	higher	Material property
Highest demonstrated operating temperatureHottest a working device has run	higher	Published device tests