Knowra Metalloid Metalloid A chemical element with properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals. The category has no universally agreed membership, though silicon and arsenic are commonly included.
Periodic table : A tabular arrangement of chemical elements ordered by atomic number and recurring chemical properties. Metalloids cluster near the table’s zigzag boundary between metals and nonmetals.
Semiconductor : A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled. Several metalloids, especially silicon, are elemental semiconductors.
Silicon : A chemical element with atomic number 14, widely used in semiconductors and glass. Silicon is the archetypal metalloid and the basis of most integrated circuits.
Metal : An element or material that typically conducts heat and electricity, deforms without breaking, and has metallic luster. Metals generally show stronger electrical conduction and metallic bonding than metalloids.
Chemical element : A pure substance whose atoms all have the same number of protons. Metalloids are elements, not mixtures or compounds.
Doping (semiconductors) : The deliberate addition of impurities to a semiconductor to alter its electrical properties. Doping turns metalloid silicon into material for controlled electronic devices.
Boron : A chemical element with atomic number 5, used in borosilicate glass, detergents, and semiconductor materials. Boron’s compounds strengthen glass and support specialized electronic materials.
Nonmetal : A chemical element that lacks the characteristic physical and chemical properties of metals. Nonmetals generally contrast with metalloids in conductivity, luster, and bonding tendencies.
Valence band : The highest range of electron energies occupied by electrons in a solid at absolute zero. Its occupancy helps determine whether a metalloid conducts electricity.
Covalent bond : A chemical bond formed when atoms share electron pairs. Covalent networks account for the hardness and high melting points of some metalloids.
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