With the development of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique, new multipurpose and multiperformance SERS-active substrates have been developed. Semiconductor and semiconductor/metal composites show versatility and SERS activity for theoretical and practical applications. Semiconductor-based SERS substrates with different microstructures, materials and compositions have been prepared to explore the enhancement effect on Raman signals. The discovery of the SERS enhancement effect of semiconductors makes up for the gap that SERS development is limited to metal-based materials. Semiconductor/metal composite substrates have established preparation technology that is compatible with the characteristics of different materials to form a stable and solid substrate that can regulate the SERS enhancement mechanism. These composites establish a good model for the theoretical research of SERS, which is of great significance to explore its enhancement mechanism. In this review, various semiconductor materials are introduced as SERS-active substrates. Versatile applications of semiconductorbased SERS and its enhancement mechanism are also presented