Semiconductors

The modern age is synonymous with the development of electricity and its applications, electronics and semiconductors which are the new wave of development that are revolutionizing the world and making life easier to live and work in.

You will find this wonder material at the heart of all the chips (integrated circuits) that are ubiquitous and almost ever present in the wide host of devices and the gadgets that we take for granted today. So whether it is the supercomputer that predicts the weather and helps put man in space or the smallest wrist watch that you spend a veritable fortune on, semiconductors reign absolutely supreme.

Semiconductors are made up of silicon which is essentially found in sand. While this is generally not a very good electricity conducting material, there is a process called doping where certain impurities are added to the pure silicon in order to increase its conductivity. The doping process involves the use of heat to melt the impurities into the silicon in a manner that it fuses with the silicon and forms a new seamless crystal on cooling and solidifying with radically different and altered properties as compared to the original silicon. One of the reasons why we refer to statements like silicon valley or silicon economy to computers and IT is because the semiconductors are at the heart of this sector and at the heart of these is silicon which has been ‘doped’ with impurities to give it its unique properties.

The basic principle that makes a semiconductor work is that of exciting the electrons that are in the ground state where they are closely held to the atomic structure to a higher level of energy. The excite electron leaves behind an energy hole that is then occupied by some other electron, leading to greater conductivity which is the core of the operation of semiconductors.  You will find these in many transistors, light emitting diodes (LEDs), analog and digital circuits and the like, which are found in all radios, TVs, computers and supercomputers, electronic devices and gadgets that are used by us day in and day out. You can sell your surplus electronic parts today - get top dollar for your excess inventory.

As we go about our lives today, we take the science of electricity and electronics for granted. We switch ion the TV, use microwave ovens, drive ultra modern cars and even watch a man step on the moon without thinking much about the scientists and their perseverance which ahs led to the development of these modern scientific marvels. The use of relays, switches and connectors in modern science is one such set of inventions that goes begging for attention and knowledge that we are so blissfully oblivious of. When it comes to relays, this was a device that was invented by Joseph Henry way back in 1935. This device has the unique property of opening and closing which is controlled by an electro-magnet to open and close a set of electric contacts. It is also known as a kind of electric amplifier as it control an output circuit that bears a higher voltage level than that of the input, which means that it is amplifying or increasing the electrical voltage. Relays are used in modems which are audio amplifiers, starters in vehicles, logic functions and the like.

Among relays, switches and connectors, switches are devices that we are all quite familiar with at home and at work too. Whenever there is an electrical device, switches help in regulating the flow of current by breaking the electrical flow though or to a device and by reversing the action, helping to restore the flow of current. We all have switches at operation in our very homes. If you flick a switch, the TV comes on and at the flick of another switch you can put on or put off the lights at home or office, just to name a couple of very simple switches. Switches have applications even in telecommunications, computer logic and the like.

The third aspect of relays, switches and connectors are the connectors. Connectors, as the name suggests are devices to bring together or connect electrical devices together. Connectors can be permanent as connections within devices or temporary like the connection between a TV and an audio amplifier. We have so many common examples of connectors in everyday life. We connect computers to speakers and many electrical devices to electric sources and boards too,