History of Silicon in Timeline

Silicon, a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor with symbol Si and atomic number 14, is a critical element with various applications. Known for its blue-grey metallic luster, hardness, and brittle crystalline structure, it sits below carbon and above germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium in the periodic table. While relatively unreactive, it plays a crucial role in plant physiology and metabolism. Silicon's importance in electrical devices like transistors, solar cells, and integrated circuits stems from its unique properties, including a significant band gap, broad optical transmission and absorption spectra, surface roughening capabilities, and effectiveness as an anti-reflection coating.

1901: Bose's Radio Crystal Detector

Indian physicist Jagadish Chandra Bose developed a radio crystal detector using galena in 1901.

1906: Pickard's Silicon Radio Crystal Detector

In 1906, American engineer Greenleaf Whittier Pickard achieved a breakthrough by developing the first silicon semiconductor device, a silicon radio crystal detector.

1940: Discovery of the p–n Junction and Photovoltaic Effects in Silicon

Russell Ohl made a groundbreaking discovery in 1940 - the p–n junction and photovoltaic effects in silicon, laying the foundation for silicon-based electronics.

1941: Development of Techniques for High-Purity Germanium and Silicon Crystals

The need for radar microwave detector crystals during World War II in 1941 drove significant advancements in the development of techniques for producing high-purity germanium and silicon crystals.

1947: Shockley's Field-Effect Amplifier Theory and the First Transistor

In 1947, physicist William Shockley developed the theoretical framework for a field-effect amplifier using germanium and silicon. While he couldn't create a working device with these materials, his work was crucial. That same year, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, working under Shockley's guidance, built the first functioning transistor, a point-contact transistor.

1954: First Silicon Junction Transistor

Marking a pivotal moment in the advancement of electronics, physical chemist Morris Tanenbaum fabricated the first silicon junction transistor at Bell Labs in 1954.

1955: Accidental Discovery of Silicon Dioxide Growth on Silicon

In a serendipitous discovery in 1955, Carl Frosch and Lincoln Derick at Bell Labs found that silicon dioxide (SiO2) could be grown on silicon.

1958: Proposal of Silicon Dioxide as a Mask in Diffusion Processes

Building on their earlier discovery, Frosch and Derick proposed in 1958 that silicon dioxide could be used as a mask during diffusion processes in silicon fabrication.

2010: Synthesis of Silicene

A novel allotrope of silicon, known as silicene, was successfully synthesized in 2010, marking a significant advancement in silicon chemistry.

2013: Projected Growth of Polycrystalline Silicon Production for Solar Cells

By 2013, it was projected that polycrystalline silicon production, primarily used in solar cells, would reach a substantial 200,000 metric tons per year. In contrast, monocrystalline semiconductor-grade silicon production was expected to be significantly lower.