Silicon

[I.R]

Um I have a wee question, please remember I don't know much about physics or lithography, but why are semi-conductors used in CPU's. Isn't that like pissing in the wind trying to move electrical signals through something that doesn't do it that well (well you know what I mean).
Wouldn't CPU's run a lot faster if they were made of conductive materials????

[_N_]

first of all, silicons do conduct electricity when they are doped, eg, diodes and transistors are silicon based,

secondly, how would you make it so small?

:)

[dustyslapper]

I thought silicon was used as a substrate for the cpu. Isn't the silicon wafer like a PCB with the actual circuit on it?

[Grrr!!]

Dustyslapper is right.

The point in using a semi conductor is that it has "Yes | No" capabilities; while a normal conductor is stuck on Yes.

[I.R]

Originally posted by _N_
first of all, silicons do conduct electricity when they are doped, eg, diodes and transistors are silicon based,

secondly, how would you make it so small?

:)

Why are you asking me questions??? :p

[_N_]

LOL, :D

cause I don't know any other way of making the CPU so small, yet with so many transistors apart from the current process,

anyway, if you look at diode, it's just two "pieces" of silicon one N and the other P, that's why also get PNP and NPN transistors,
this proves that it does conduct electricity,..

[I.R]

How did we get on to the whole "silicon conducts electricity" thing........ I sort of was aware of that (since there are a few hunks of it in my comp :p).

I was wanting to know if Lithographic technologies were able to be applied to better conductors or if better conductors would make for speedier processors :confused:


*waits for KayJay*

[SilverPriest]

The following is a braindump:

Silicon can switch on and off at very high speeds.
Doping it with germanium or gallium arsenide can allow them to switch faster.
I think silicon is generally used, as it is relatively easy and cheap to make chips with.
Changing to something else, would require significant retooling of the fabs etc.
Best bang for their buck I guess, for now at least.

Also, on the topic of lithography, i read something about how die cast manufacture might be applied to making cpus.
Little dies with the different layers etc.
Has potential i guess, but again, would cost at the very least tens of millions to implement, not even including research.
Again, the bang for the buck factor.
[/random braindump]

Dunno if any of that was relevant, but hey :D

[Binky Stunt Cat]

silicon (Chem). A nonmetallic element, sybol Si, at no. 14, valency 4. This element is the second most abundant, silicates being the cheif constituents of many rocks, clays and soils. It has semiconducting properties, being used for a large range of electronic components
a slightly reduced version of the entry in my Science & Technology Dictionary, but you wouldnt want that extra stuff anyway.
So two reasons its used is its a semiconductor (4 valence electrons in the outer shell which is full at 8.Stability = Full shell>half shell>other config.) and that its cheap.

[I.R]

That's the stuff I was after! Thanks :D Economics I understand...... physics/chemistry :eek: