There are both high-speed and low-speed semiconductor devices, but how do they differ?
A2 The operation speed of a semiconductor device is determined by the signal (electron) transmission time. Time is inversely proportional to speed and proportional to distance. Given the same distance, a faster speed means a shorter transmission time. The transmission speed differs depending on physical characteristics. Semiconductor devices consist of P type and N type parts, and the mobility of electrons depends on the elements that are included in these parts and their density, resulting in the difference of speed. Naturally, mobility also depends on the specific resistance of the metal used in wiring and pins, but not to the point of affecting the operation speed of a given device. On the other hand, given the same transmission speed, the shorter the distance, the shorter the transmission time. Therefore, as process technology (expressed for example as “0.35 µm process,” where “0.35 µm” is called the design rule) becomes increasingly miniaturized, transmission distances are becomin
