Why silicon is mostly preferred for making the semiconductor devices as compared to germanium?
Answers
As we all know, both Silicon and Germanium are semiconductor devices. But the present trend is to use Silicon instead of Germanium in many devices like SMPS etc.
The reasons behind this are:-
1.The variation of Collector cut off current with temperature is less in Silicon compared to Germanium.
2.The structure of Germanium crystals will be destroyed at higher temperature. However, Silicon crystals are not easily damaged by excess heat.
3.Peak Inverse Voltage ratings of Silicon diodes are greater than Germanium diodes.
4.Si is less expensive due to the greater abundance of element. The major raw material for Si wafer fabrication is sand and there is lots of sand available in nature.
5.At room temperature, Silicon crystal has fewer free electrons than Germanium crystal. This implies that silicon will have much smaller Collector cut off current than Germanium.
Answer:
silicon has 4 valence electron which is suitable for making semiconductor than germanium