The history and trends of semiconductor materials’ development

Abstract Energy, materials and information are considered to be the three pillars of the emerging technological revolution. In terms of materials, the progress of electronic materials is particularly remarkable. A giant leap forward has been made in the development of all aspects of modern science and technology by the advent of computer, which features large scale and very large scale integrated circuits. A sequence of epoch-making semiconductor materials are constantly emerging, and rapidly become productivity and production tools, which has greatly promoted the rapid development of integrated circuit industry. The development level of semiconductor integrated circuits is one of the main indicators to measure a country’s economic strength and scientific and technological progress. However, semiconductor materials are an important cornerstone of the development of integrated circuits. With the increasing number of electronic devices in all walks of life. the value of semiconductor materials is widely recognized. This paper introduces the characteristics, classification and application of semiconductor material, briefly summarizes the history of semiconductor materials from 1950s to now, and combined with its development process, studies the key factors to promote the development of semiconductor materials: the development of semiconductor materials is performance-oriented and limited by production costs. This paper puts forward the problems faced by today’s semiconductor materials, and analyzes the current trend of diversified development of semiconductor materials. This paper can help readers quickly understand the development of semiconductor materials and the important factors affecting their development, and seek more solutions for the construction and development of the semiconductor industry.