Silicon is one of the most popular semiconductor materials used to create wafers. It is element number 14 on the periodic table and the element symbol is “Si”. Here are 5 facts about silicon and the silicon wafer that you might not already know.
Silicon Facts
Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius is credited with first discovering silicon. He reacted potassium fluorosilicate with potassium to produce amorphous silicon, which he named silicium. While others might have discovered a variation of silicon earlier, Berzelius is credited with the discovery because his sample was purified by repeatedly washing it, while the others were impure.
The name silicon was given to the element in 1831 by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson. Thomson changed the name from silicum to silicon because element showed more similarities to boron and carbon than to the metals that had -ium names.
Silicon is a metalloid, which means it has properties of both metals and nonmetals.
Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth by mass, making up over 27% of the crust. It's the 8th most abundant element in the universe, found at levels of about 650 parts per million.
Silicon is available at extremely high purity. Highly pure silicon is what is used in semiconductors found in wafers.
Are You Looking for a Silicon Wafer?
At Wafer World, we offer highly pure silicon wafers for all sorts of electronics and other uses. Contact us today to learn more about our silicon wafers and how we can get you what you need for your next project.
