Silicon is a tetravalent metalloid element (atomic number 14) that forms the basis of most modern semiconductor technology and is a central topic across materials science, electronics, and solid-state physics. In crystalline form, it adopts a diamond cubic lattice, enabling precise control of its electronic band structure through doping with donors (e.g., phosphorus) or acceptors (e.g., boron) to create n- and p-type regions. Silicon’s indirect band gap, thermal stability, native oxide (SiO₂) formation, and compatibility with planar processing underpin integrated circuits, photovoltaics, and microelectromechanical systems, making it a foundational subject in research on electronic materials and device engineering.
An international research team, led by NIMS, including Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) and Aalto University in Finland, has succeeded in synthesizing a two-dimensional silicon-integrated covalent organic framework (COF) ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 9, 2022
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After a 10-year research study that started by accident and was met with skepticism, a team of Northeastern University mechanical engineers was able to synthesize highly dense, ultra-narrow silicon nanowires that could revolutionize ...
Nanophysics
Oct 7, 2022
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Theoretical scientists have used topological mathematics and machine learning to identify a hidden relationship between nano-scale structures and thermal conductivity in amorphous silicon, a glassy form of the material with ...
Nanophysics
Jun 24, 2022
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Researchers from Nanjing University and Beihang University in China and the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg, Germany, have produced a new class of exciton with hybrid dimensionality ...
Nanophysics
Jun 20, 2022
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Scientists have demonstrated a new material that conducts heat 150% more efficiently than conventional materials used in advanced chip technologies.
Nanophysics
May 17, 2022
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In a new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances, researchers from South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, discuss silicon cuboid nanoantenna with simultaneous large Purcell factor for electric dipole, magnetic ...
Nanomaterials
Mar 21, 2022
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A University of Melbourne-led team has perfected a technique for embedding single atoms in a silicon wafer one-by-one. Their technology offers the potential to make quantum computers using the same methods that have given ...
Nanophysics
Jan 12, 2022
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A silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication, meaning it can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way. As reported in Nature ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 29, 2021
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As silicon based semiconducting technology is approaching the limit of its performance, new materials that may replace or partially replace silicon in technology is highly desired. Recently, the emergence of graphene and ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 15, 2021
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The device you are currently reading this article on was born from the silicon revolution. To build modern electrical circuits, researchers control silicon's current-conducting capabilities via doping, which is a process ...
Nanophysics
Nov 1, 2021
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