Heroes Of Digital World. Poem by Nabakishore Dash

Paradigm shift in Technology
has enabled us digital connections.
Semiconductors are heroes and
our constant companions.

Metals like gold, copper,
silver, aluminium have
free electrons,
can conduct electricity,
are called conductors.
Rubber, glass and ceramics
can not conduct electricity,
are known as insulators.

Semiconductors(half conductors)
are elements like
silicon and germanium,
their properties are somewhat
between conductors and insulators,
normally don't conduct in purest forms,
but are potential conductors
when specific conditions are imposed.
(Some substances added,
temperature raised etc.) .

Silicon is the most used
Semiconductor,
found abundantly in rocks and soil,
to some extent in plants and water.
Electronic Integrated circuits are embedded
over the silicon substrate to
form extremely small chips of
few nanometers.

Chip manufacturing is a sequential
multi-step process, perfected in
very specialised and controlled environment,
possibly the cleanest places
on earth.
Specific operations are performed
on the silicon wafer over the
course of two -three months.

These chips store, transmit and
process our smiles, communication,
entertainments, information and are
inserted into electrical and
electronic appliances to make
our lives fast, easy and comfortable.
Memory, communication
logic, sensor are some examples
of chips that enable miniaturization
of gadgets possible.

These semiconductors are
the bed rocks of many
ICT equipments we use daily.
Banking, education, health, transport
defence, planning, entertainment,
meteorology, WFH, even rapid
manufacturing of covid vaccine
during the recent pandemic
were performed easily.

In Nature, silicon is found as
a compound with oxygen, Aluminium
and magnesium.
Its extraction and purification
are power consuming,
hence are done in China, Brazil, Australia
where electricity rate is minimum.

Ultra-high pure silicon of
the so called 'eleven nines' grade
is the real hero in digital sphere.
Many countries are now entering
the chips race to be self reliant in
in their financial and development sector.