Silicon, From Sand to Chips, Volume 1

Alain Vignes was Professor at the École des Mines de Nancy, France, Professor and Director of the Centre des Matériaux at the École des Mines de Paris, France, then Professor at the Institut Supérieur des Matériaux et de la Construction Mécanique, France. He has also acted as a scientific advisor to several industrial companies and as an expert witness for the Paris Court of Appeal.

Preface ix

Introduction: The Digital Revolution xv

Chapter 1 Silicon and Germanium: From Ore to Element 1

1.1 Extraction and purification of silicon/discovery and extraction of germanium 1

1.2 Silicon and germanium semiconductors: electrical characteristics 8

1.3 References 28

Chapter 2 The Point-Contact Diode 31

2.1 Features and functions 32

2.2 History 42

2.3 Research during the Second World War 48

2.4 The industrial development of germanium diodes after the Second World War 61

2.5 Appendix: currents in a metal–semiconductor diode 64

2.6 References 66

Chapter 3 The Point-Contact Transistor 71

3.1 The field effect 72

3.2 The germanium-based point-contact transistor 79

3.3 The industrial development of the germanium N point-contact transistor 85

3.4 References 87

Chapter 4 The PN Diode 91

4.1 PN diode operation and functions 92

4.2 Electronic germanium and silicon production 108

4.3 Appendix: physical basis of PN diode operation 124

4.4 References 130

Chapter 5 The Bipolar Transistor 133

5.1 Transistor operation and functions 134

5.2 Transistor technologies 146

5.3 "Mesa" and "planar" bipolar silicon transistors 157

5.4 Industrial developments 163

5.5 References 170

Chapter 6 The MOSFET Transistor 175

6.1 Features and functions 176

6.2 MOSFET miniaturization and materials 191

6.3 Appendix 203

6.4 References 204

Index of Names 207

Index of Terms 209

Summary of Volume 2 213