semiconductor
/ˌsemikənˈdʌktə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsemikəndʌktər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌse-mē-kən-ˈdək-tər ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi-/ (ame, mw)
semiconductor — noun
- semiconductorsingular
- semiconductorsplural
1. A solid substance, such as silicon or germanium, that can carry electricity unde
A solid substance, such as silicon or germanium, that can carry electricity under certain conditions but not as efficiently as metals do. Its ability to conduct gets stronger when the temperature rises or when small amounts of other substances are added to it.
Sirin used a piece of silicon semiconductor in her school science project to test how temperature affects electrical flow.
When the lab team heated the semiconductor material, its ability to carry electricity improved noticeably.
collocation: semiconductor material
Gallium arsenide is a common semiconductor that engineers use to build high-speed electronic components.
Without special semiconductor materials, the tiny chips inside a modern phone would not be able to function.
The factory produces pure silicon wafers that serve as the base for most semiconductor devices on the market.
- semiconducting material
A more explicit term often used in scientific writing to avoid ambiguity with sense 2
文法句型
semiconductor + noun (semiconductor material, semiconductor industry)
用法筆記
Frequently used as an attributive noun before other nouns (semiconductor industry, semiconductor material, semiconductor device). In technical writing, sense 1 refers specifically to the raw material; use sense 2 when referring to a finished electronic component.
常見錯誤
2. A small electronic part or device, such as a transistor or diode, that is made f
A small electronic part or device, such as a transistor or diode, that is made from a semiconductor material and is used to control or direct the flow of electricity in computers, phones, cars, and other electronic equipment.
The technician replaced a damaged semiconductor on the circuit board to restore the computer's power supply.
Modern cars contain hundreds of individual semiconductors that manage systems from the engine to the headlights.
collocation: contain semiconductors
Manuela's old radio stopped working because one of its tiny semiconductors had burned out after years of use.
A single smartphone contains billions of tiny semiconductors packed tightly inside its main processor chip.
Cole studied how different semiconductors behave when used in solar panels during his engineering internship.
- semiconductor device
A more precise term preferred in technical documentation
- solid-state component
Broader category that includes all components made from solid semiconductor materials
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to a finished electronic component or device, not the raw material. Common in phrases like 'discrete semiconductor', 'power semiconductor', or 'semiconductor package'.