Silicon is a chemical element with atomic number 14 and symbol Si. It is a metalloid found abundantly in nature and commonly used in semiconductor devices due to its unique electrical properties.
Related terms
Semiconductor: A material that has electrical conductivity between that of conductors and insulators. Silicon is one such example.
Valence Electrons: Electrons located in the outermost shell or energy level of an atom. For silicon, it has four valence electrons.
Doping: Adding impurities intentionally to alter the electrical conductivity of semiconductors like silicon.