semiconductor device physics

Semiconductor device physics involves understanding how materials like silicon control electrical current. Semiconductors have properties between conductors and insulators, allowing them to switch between allowing and blocking current when specially treated with impurities (doping). In devices like transistors, these properties enable precise control of electrical signals, acting as switches or amplifiers. Electrons and "holes" (missing electrons that act like positive charges) move through the material, enabling the device to process information. This control over electron flow is fundamental to electronics such as computers, smartphones, and other digital devices.