Many semiconductor materials can be divided into two categories: element semiconductor and compound semiconductor. Germanium and silicon is the most commonly used semiconductor element; compound semiconductor includes Chapter III and Chapter V compound (gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide etc.), II and VI compounds (cadmium sulfide, zinc sulfide, etc.) oxide (manganese, chromium, iron, copper oxide), as well as by III-V compounds and II-VI compounds composed of solid solution (gallium aluminum arsenide, gallium arsenic phosphorus). In addition to the crystalline semiconductors, there are amorphous glassy semiconductors, organic semiconductors, etc..
The semiconductor manufacturing technology according to its classification, can be divided into: integrated circuit device, photoelectric semiconductor discrete devices, logic IC, analog IC, memory and other categories, these will generally be divided into small class. In addition to the application areas, design methods, such as classification, although not commonly used, but in accordance with IC, LSI, VLSI (super LSI) and its size classification method. In addition, as well as its handling of the signal, can be divided into analog, digital and analog digital hybrid and functional classification method.