This drawback of silicon goes to the background in view of the other advantages of silicon mentioned above. Consequently, the modern trend is to use silicon in semiconductor devices. But if we consider the advantages listed above, we can conclude that Silicon is the best element for the Semiconductor Devices and Applications. Recommended Articles. More Articles.
Why Silicon is preferred over Germanium? Send this to a friend. Ge has higher electron and hole mobilities and because of this Ge devices can function up to a higher frequency than Si devices.
A Zener diode is a silicon semiconductor device that permits current to flow in either a forward or reverse direction. Additionally, the voltage drop across the diode remains constant over a wide range of voltages, a feature that makes Zener diodes suitable for use in voltage regulation. Ability to withstand at high temperature: silicon crystals have capability to withstand at higher temperature compare to germanium crystals. So if leakage current is produced in SCR it heats up the device then silicon crystals can withstand but not germanium crystals.
In Germanium and Silicon diodes, leakage current is only of few microamperes and nanoamperes, respectively. Germanium is much more susceptible to temperature than silicon. For this reason, mostly Silicon is used in modern semiconductor devices. Reverse leakage current in a semiconductor device is the current from that semiconductor device when the device is reverse biased.
The leakage current increased with temperature. This is why many textbooks simply say the voltage drop across a conducting, semiconductor diode remains constant at 0. The name germanium derives from the Latin word Germania [Germany] and was given to the element by Winkler. Many other substances now also are used as semiconductors, but germanium remains of primary importance in the manufacture of transistors and of components for devices such as rectifiers and photocells.
The largest use of germanium is in the semiconductor industry. When doped with small amounts of arsenic, gallium, indium, antimony or phosphorus, germanium is used to make transistors for use in electronic devices. Germanium is also used to create alloys and as a phosphor in fluorescent lamps. Germanium has five isotopes found in nature. As many as twenty-seven radioisotopes of germanium have been discovered. Si is less expensive due to the larger amount of elements.
The back current in a Si diode is in the range of nanoamps. The same return current is in the microampere range for a Ge-based diode. While high power applications are taken into account, Si-based devices can tolerate high power more than 50W while Ge can only survive applications below 10W. Germanium has a blocking voltage of only V, while Si can withstand up to V. Silicon is relatively easy and inexpensive to procure and process, while germanium is a rare material.
Low voltage signal level. It loses only 0. Cost-effective: Silicon is relatively easy and inexpensive to procure and process, while germanium is a rare material that is typically found in copper, lead or silver deposits.
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