Unit 2a Book

In electrical engineering and computer science, one of the most important materials is silicon. It is a type of material somewhere between a conductor and an insulator: it can be doped with other elements, for example, phosphorus or boron to become either an n-type semiconductor or a p-type semiconductor. The ability of this semiconductor to “switch” between the conductor and insulator, depending on the charge run through it, is a fundamental property which made digital revolution possible. To learn more about semiconductors, watch the video. As  you watch, complete this listening comprehension task. Then read about some materials that are likely to replace silicon soon. The problem with silicon is, however, that it has seemed to reach their technological limits. According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, “the reliable biennial doubling in the computational power of microchips, known as Moore’s Law, has been slowing, and could soon come to an end. It’s pretty much impossible, using current methods, to get the elements etched into silicon, like transistors, below about 3 nanometers in their smallest dimension.” So, the tech industry is in search of other wonder materials that could possibly replace silicon. Read about them and complete all the gaps by choosing the correct option from the drop-down list.