There are many semiconductor materials, which can be divided into two major categories according to chemical composition: elemental semiconductors and compound semiconductors. Germanium and silicon are the most commonly used elemental semiconductors; Compound semiconductors include Group III and Group V compounds (gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, etc.), Group II and Group VI compounds (cadmium sulfide, zinc sulfide, etc.), oxides (oxides of manganese, chromium, iron, copper), and solid solutions composed of Group III - V compounds and Group II - VI compounds (gallium aluminum arsenic, gallium arsenic phosphorus, etc.). In addition to the above crystalline semiconductors, there are also amorphous glass semiconductors, organic semiconductors, and the like.

        The classification of semiconductors can be divided according to their manufacturing technology into: integrated circuit devices, discrete devices, optoelectronic semiconductors, logic ICs, analog ICs, storage devices, and other major categories. Generally speaking, these can also be divided into small categories. In addition, there are methods for classifying by application field, design method, etc. Although not commonly used, they are still classified by IC, LSI, VLSI (Very Large LSI), and their scale. In addition, there is a method for classifying signals according to their processing, which can be divided into analog, digital, analog digital mixtures, and functions.

Common semiconductor material characteristics

        Common semiconductor materials include silicon (si), germanium (ge), and compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide (gaas); Doping or making other compound semiconductor materials, such as boron (b), phosphorus (p), Gu (in), and antimony (sb). Silicon is the most commonly used semiconductor material.  

        It has the following common characteristics:

        1. The conductivity of semiconductors lies between conductors and insulators

        When a semiconductor is stimulated by external light and heat, its electrical conductivity will significantly change.

        3. Adding a small amount of impurities to a pure semiconductor will sharply enhance its conductivity.

        Semiconductor materials can be classified according to their chemical composition, and amorphous and liquid semiconductors with relatively special structures and properties can be classified separately. According to this classification method, semiconductor materials can be divided into elemental semiconductors, inorganic compound semiconductors, organic compound semiconductors, and amorphous and liquid semiconductors.