Abstract & Overview
A survey of all known semiconductors suggests that it is useful to discuss the existence and properties of a specific ‘ semiconducting bond ’. A valence bond treatment of semiconductors, because it takes account of the properties of the specific atoms present, furnishes certain results which are not provided by the usual band model treatment. Most important of these are a classification and explanation of the occurrence of intrinsic semiconductivity in known semiconductors and a means of predicting the occurrence of semiconductivity in substances, generally from a consideration only of the chemical formula and valencies of the component atoms. The bonds found in semiconductors are discussed in relation to the bonds found in metallic and ionic conductors and insulators.