Ultrapure silicon

Ultra pure silicon (with impurities of no more than a few atoms per thousand atoms) is the most important semiconductor material, widely used in computer, microwave communication, fiber optic communication, solar power generation, and other fields. Semiconductor silicon materials are developing rapidly, with an annual consumption of over 2500 tons of monocrystalline silicon and a consumption of 2.5 billion square inches of silicon wafers. There has also been significant development in the research and production of silicon materials in China. Single crystals with a diameter of less than 3 inches have reached international standards, and cutting, grinding, and polishing processes and equipment have been established. However, there is still a certain gap between the overall level and the international level. So, China has great potential for the development of ultra-pure silicon, and there is a long way to go.
Why is the current era called the Silicon Age? At the 7th International crystalline silicon Production Conference, scientists called the present era the silicon age. Why is silicon elevated to such a high position? This is because the world today is moving from the industrial age to the information age. In the industrial era, steel was the leader, so steel production marked a country's economic and military strength. In the information age, the leader is the semiconductor material - silicon. There are many varieties that can be used as semiconductor materials, but there are not many in industrial production, mainly silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and gallium phosphide, among which silicon accounts for about 90% of the entire semiconductor material production. That's why people call the current era the Silicon Age