http://www.ck12.org Chapter 5. Energy
5.76 Electronic Component
- Define electronic component.
- Describe semiconductors.
- Outline the structure and function of diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits.
You’ve probably heard of Silicon Valley. You may even know that it’s a region in northern California. But do you
know how the region got its name? Silicon Valley is the birthplace of modern electronics and continues to be a hub
of electronic innovation. The wordsiliconin the name refers to the element silicon, which is the chief “ingredient”
of electronic components.
What Are Electronic Components?
Electronic components are the parts used in electronic devices such as computers. The components change electric
current so it can carry information. Types of electronic components include diodes, transistors, and integrated
circuits, all of which you can read about below. However, to understand how these components work, you first
need to know about semiconductors. That’s because electronic components consist of semiconductors—sometimes
millions of them!
Semiconductors
Asemiconductoris a solid crystal, consisting mainly of silicon. It gets its name from the fact that it can conduct
current better than an electric insulator but not as well as an electric conductor. As you can see in theFigure5.162,
each silicon atom has four valence electrons that it shares with other silicon atoms in the crystal. A semiconductor
is formed by replacing a few silicon atoms with other atoms, such as phosphorus or boron, which have more or