Which of the following natural element is the primary element in computer chips?

Question

Which of the following natural element is the primary element in computer chips?

1. A. Silicon (Correct answer)
2. B. Carbon
3. C. Iron
4. D. None of these

Correct Answer

Option A — Silicon

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Silicon.

Key Points

• Silicon is the primary element in computer chips, valued for being a semiconductor — its conductivity can be controlled by adding impurities, a process called doping.
• Chips are manufactured from highly purified silicon wafers.
• Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust after oxygen, which makes it cheap to source.
• Silicon Valley takes its name from this material.

Additional Information

• Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust at roughly 28%, after oxygen — which is part of why it became the basis of the semiconductor industry.
• Its conductivity is tuned by doping: adding a pentavalent impurity gives n-type material with surplus electrons, and a trivalent impurity gives p-type with surplus holes.
• Do not confuse silicon (the element, Si) with silicone (a synthetic polymer) — a spelling trap used in objective papers.
• Germanium was the semiconductor of the earliest transistors before silicon displaced it, thanks to silicon's greater thermal stability and abundance.