POLYMERS- A polymer is composed of many simple molecules that are

repeating structural units called monomers. A single polymer molecule may

consist of hundreds to a million monomers and may have a linear, branched,
or network structure. Covalent bonds hold the atoms in the polymer
molecules together and secondary bonds then hold groups of polymer chains
together to form the polymeric material.

Mer
The repeating unit in a polymer chain
Monomer
A single mer unit (n=1)
Polymer
Many mer-units along a chain (n=103 or more)

Polymer Chains (Thermoplastics and Thermosets)

A polymer is an organic material and the backbone of every organic material
is a chain of carbon atoms. The carbon atom has four electrons in the outer
shell. Each of these valence electrons can form a covalent bond to another
carbon atom or to a foreign atom. The key to the polymer structure is that
two carbon atoms can have up to three common bonds and still bond with
other atoms.
The ability for molecules to form long chains is a vital to producing polymers.
Consider the material polyethylene, which is made from ethane gas, C2H6.
Ethane gas has a two carbon atoms in the chain and each of the two carbon
atoms share two valence electrons with the other.
When stress is applied, these chains stretch and the elongation of polymers
can be thousands of times greater than it is in crystalline structures.
The length of the polymer chain is very important. As the number of carbon
atoms in the chain is increased to beyond several hundred, the material will
pass through the liquid state and become a waxy solid. When the number of
carbon atoms in the chain is over 1,000, the solid material polyethylene, with
its characteristics of strength, flexibility and toughness, is obtained. The
change in state occurs because as the length of the molecules increases, the
total binding forces between molecules also increases.

Semiconductors, such as Silicon (Si) are made up of individual atoms bonded

together in a regular, periodic structure to form an arrangement whereby
each atom is surrounded by 8 electrons. An individual atom consists of a
nucleus made up of a core of protons (positively charged particles) and
neutrons (particles having no charge) surrounded by electrons. The number
of electrons and protons is equal. The electrons surrounding each atom in a
semiconductor are part of a covalent bond. A covalent bond consists of two
atoms "sharing" a single electron. Each atom forms 4 covalent bonds with the
4 surrounding atoms. Therefore, between each atom and its 4 surrounding
atoms, 8 electrons are being shared. The structure of a semiconductor is
shown in the figure below.
Schematic representation of covalent bonds in a silicon crystal lattice. Each
line connecting the atoms represents an electron being shared between the
two. Two electrons being shared are what form the covalent bond.
1.Semiconductors are made up of atoms bonded together to form a uniform
structure
2. Each silicon atom has four valence electrons which are shared, forming a
covalent bonds with the four surrounding Si atoms.

3. Understanding how these atoms are arranged is vital in understanding the

material properties of different semiconductors, and how best to engineer
them.