Semiconductor :
We have studied about Insulator and conductor. These two concepts we know that.
Lets know simply what is Insulator ?
Insulator : Insulator work as, it not allow to conduct the electricity as well as heat, so that's why we called this is a bad conductor.
This is possible to conduct electricity in Insulator how ? the answer is "Yes". Because, If any Insulator material sustain heat constantly, than it is very easily electricity pass through it.
But on the earth there is not "Yet" material to founded, who sustain heat constantly without any damages.
Let's take an Example 1: If we want to pass electricity in plastic straw pipe, than it is possible to pass electricity in it, But one condition in that is, only and only it's able to sustain heat constantly.
And that's why, the Insulator properties matter doesn't able to conduct heat and electricity.
Conductor :
What is conductor ?
Conductor is a very good conductor of heat and electricity. Conductor can allow to Conduct electricity in Bi-directional in Alternate Current/voltage like Sinusoidal wave of current or voltage.
what issue we face Because of Bi-directional flow, All we know that, in our home, the current come in form of AC (Alternate Current), So because of that, the current in sinusoidal wave form so that's why it constantly fluctuating up and down. But we know that, in our electronic device or electronic circuit only and only work on DC current. So providing AC TO DC here Semi-conductor Concept is important to know.
So overcome this issue conducting electricity in Bi-directional flow there is one solution for this is Semi-Conductor.
Semi-conductor : Semi-conductor is a conductor which means, it allow electricity to flow as well as it acts as resistor also, because semi-conductor only allow to flow in one direction so that's why we called this is a Uni-directional conductor.
In some condition Semi-conductor act like Conductor and in some condition semi-conductor acts like Insulator.
Lets take an Example to understand this :
Here, as you can see that , here we take half wave rectifier. If At point (A) consider there is Positive volt and At point (B) there is Negative volt, than only our circuit conduct in Semi-conductor, Because here diode only work in forward direction mode and not conduct in reversed direction mode. In forward direction mode Semi-conductor work as conductor and in reversed direction mode Semi-conductor work as Insulator.
So basically, here in this circuit one Semi-conductor we use as a Diode, So all the major role play by this small diode and this diode come in Semi-conductor family.